Fanshawe

ht to swim in.

e delightful from its contrast with the elemental fury that raged without. A fire, which the dullness of the evening, though a summer one, made necessary, was burning brightly on the hearth; and in front was placed a small round table, sustaining wine and glasses. One of the guests for whom these preparations had been made was Edward Walcott; the ot

ces; and this was, therefore, the usual channel by which the wildness of youth discharged itself. Edward Walcott, though naturally temperate, had been not an unfrequent offender in this respect, for which a superfluity bot

ider what would be his wishes, and to act accordingly. He would, indeed, in no contingency have ventured an open remonstrance; and such a proceeding would have been attended by a result the reverse of what he desired. But there existed between them a silent compact (acknowled

found her cold, silent, and abstracted, inattentive when he spoke, and indisposed to speak herself. Her eye was sedulously averted from his; and the casual meeting of their glances only proved that there were feelings in her bosom which he did not share. He was unable to account for this change in her deportment; and, added to his previous conceptions of his wrongs, it produced an effect upon his rather hasty temper, that might have manifested itself violently, but for the presence of Mrs. Melmoth. He took his leave in very evident displeasure; but, just as he closed the door, he noticed an expression in Ellen'

nt. But even the wine had no attractions; and his first glass stood now almost untouched before him, while he gazed in heavy thought into the glowing embers o

d. "I caught a glimpse of her in the passa

of ladies? No, I did not see her; but I will venture

er, doubtingly. "Her head was turned f

ow, and never vanishes l

the slipshod servan

s opinion of his powers of observation; "as white as Ellen Langton's." He paused; for the lover was

ty, and turning to Hugh, who just then entered the room. "Who is this

swered, "I keep no angels here, gentlemen. Dame Crombie w

ision in the passage-way,-a

he mystery. "Our passageway is dark; or perhaps the light had dazzled his eyes. It was the Widow Fowler's daughter, that came t

d," said Glover, o

ell, gentlemen, I trust you find everything in my house to your satisfaction. When the fire needs rene

e, from which he started every quarter of an hour, at the chiming of the clock that stood in a corner. The fire died gradually away; the lamps began to burn dim; and Glover, rousing himself from one of his periodical

had but just arrived at the inn; but, whatever was his object, he seemed not to have attained

ord's or mine," he said. "I came hither to seek another person; but

r evening have I never spent. We will renew our fire and our wine, and you must sit down with us. And for the man you seek," h

ion on which Edward seemed to rely. Laying aside his cloak, he accepte

applications to the wine were very unfrequent; yet his conversation was such as one might expect from a bottle of champagne endowed by a fairy with the gift of speech. The secret of this strange mirth lay in the troubled state of his spirits, which, like the vexed ocean at midnight (if the simile be not too magnificent), tossed forth a mysterious brightness. The undefined apprehensions that had draw

ring the involuntary sighs of the party, that from these, but a moment before, had arisen so loud and wild a laugh. During this interval Edward Walcott (who was the poet of his c

right, the wi

the drin

drain the bo

llily d

e search the

from sea

nd mingle i

the merr

e cares, oh,

hat they

ach lonely d

n his al

upon us w

tic laug

l watch the

then le

ound of Edward's voice, in sufficient time to accompany the second stanza on the violin. He now, wit

, indeed, young gentleman! Some of the lines, it is true, seem to have been dragged in by the head and shoulders; but I could scarcely have done much better myself at your age. With practice, and with

avity, "you might yourself be prevailed u

ld require consideratio

of Harley College: it ha

Master Walcott; and the

om my prese

r us with a specimen of his

gh. "It is seldom, in this rude country, Master Walcott, that we meet

of which were the prevailing subject of his song; then, after much hemming, thrumming, and prelusion,

drinker this fiv

drinker, my friend

drinking; bear a

d quart pot and

, being executed with great spirit, it attracted universal applause. This Hugh appropri

old, boys (a jol

w opened them, intending gently to rebuke his auditors for their unseasonable expression of delight. He immediately perceived, however, that the fault was to be attributed to neither of the three young men; and, following

unding a charge upon his fiddle. But, as they drew nigh, the black cloak began to assume a familiar look; the hat, also, w

ad arisen while he was thus engaged. As the evening advanced, however, the rain poured down in undiminished cataracts; and the doctor, trusting to the prudence and sure-footedness of his steed, had at length set forth on his return. The darkness of the night, and the roughness of the road, might have appalled him, even had his horsemanship and his courage been more considerable than they were; but by the special protection of Providence, as he reasonably supposed (for he was a good man, and on a good errand), he arrived safely as far as Hugh Crombie's

attempted to clothe his round, good-natured face in a look of awful dignity. But, in spite of hi

ing, young gentlemen," he at length said; "bu

ombie, assuming a look of tender anxiety. "The young gentlemen are affrighted for your valuabl

s one of the most gullible of mortals. "I trust I am in no dan

velvet smallclothes, that have covered my unworthy legs but once? Dame Crombie shall hav

m hold on such parts of his dress as yet remained to him. "Fear not for

or house. Oh, had your reverence but seen them, when I heard their cries, and rushed forth to their assistance. Dripping with wet were they, like th

oad on such a night?"

you," replied the landlord. "Your absence, your long absence, had alarme

nts. They, it is but justice to mention, had simultaneously made a step forward in order to contradict the egregious falseh

ce," observed Dr. Melmoth, looking at the wine, and r

oor young hearts. My dame advised strong waters; 'But, Dame Crombie,' says I, 'would ye corrupt their youth?' And in my zeal for the

hing of the kind," obser

ed to meet with

landlord. "Will it please

ld, boys (a wise

beware of the horr

doctor, you have not sipped a drop of my wine. Now I entreat your rever

the cataract of rain. There was, perhaps, a little suspicion yet remaining in the good man's mind respecting the truth of the landlord's story: at least, it was his evident intention to see the students fairly out of the inn before h

ted Hugh, most energetically. "Now Beelzebub defend me!" he muttered

ce of the room. The three students pressed forward; Mrs. Crombie and the servant-girl had been drawn t

ed her features in their agitated workings and frequent change of expression, as perfectly as by the broad light of day. Terror had at first blanched her as white as a lily, or as a marble statue, which for a moment she resembled, as she stood motionless in the centre of the room. Shame next bore sway; and her blushing countenance, covered by her slender white fing

cked his utterance. His tone and look, however, again overcame Ellen Langton, and she burst into tears. Fanshawe advanced,

mselves on any one. "What right have you to speak of her innocence? Perhaps," he continued, an undefined and ridic

before he could attempt to console Edward, this rude repulse had almost aroused him to fierceness. But his pride, of which a m

e had supposed that the terms on which they parted in the morning (which had been very grievous to herself) would have produced a corresponding sadness in him. But while she sat in loneliness and in tears, her bosom distracted by a thousand anxieties and sorrows, of many of which Edward was the object, his reckle

round him, as if to seek some explanation of so strange an event. But the faces of all were as perplexed as his own; even Hugh Crombie

length said the doctor, "wh

nal, she was unable to render her words audible. Fanshawe spoke i

thus long. Come, my dear child," he continued, advancing to Ellen, and taking her hand, "let us return home, a

isest way, old gentleman

hung back, while her glance passed almost imperceptibly over the faces that gazed so eagerly at her; but the o

ot what. He was ungenerous enough to believe that Ellen-his pure and lovely Ellen-had degraded herself; though from what motive, or by whose agency, he could not conjecture. When Dr. Melmoth had taken her in charge, Edward returned to the apartment where he had spent the evening. The wine was still upon the table; and, in the desperate hope of stupefy

e hurled them with prodigious force,-one through the window, and the other against a large looking-glass, the most valuable article of furniture in Hugh Crombie's inn. The crash and clatter of these outrageous proceedings soon brought the master, mistress, and maid-servant to the scene of action; but the two latter, at the first sight of Edward's wild demeanor and

e passageway. "A little twist of his hand to the left would have served my turn as well as if I stood in the path of a fort

he addressed, composedly lifting the andiron. "He is

ose of a raving maniac; but, when the words struck his ear, he paused, put his hand to his forehead, seemed to recoll

" he said to the angler. "I

-his drunken wrath-will not induce me to

's satisfaction," returned

isive smile, and almost in a whisper. At the same time he pro

rd, taking one of the weap

adly intentions, so suddenly conceived, could be ex

ade. "And you, Master Edward, with what sort of a face will you walk into the chapel to morning prayers, after putting a ball thro

gh your own head," exclaimed Edward, fiercely: for the interval of rationa

done him harm enough already, and intend him more. I propose," he continued aloud, and with a peculiar glance towards the angler, "that this affair be deci

more or less is of little consequence to me." He accordingly d

t you to your chamber, the better," added he aside; for the wine was at last beginning to

nt to our unfortunate hero, in the course of the short walk that brought him to his chamber. Whe

most rapid changes. A strong breeze sometimes drove the clouds from the brow of heaven, so as to disclose a few of the