into the vortex that humility could never have come within sight or reach of. Pride dares the danger that lowliness trembles at and avoids. Pride must press forward to the verge of the precipice, to show the ease and grace of its defiance. My Emily! merely human confidence is bad-is dangerous-in proportion to its degree. Consider-remember what you have both heard and read of the disastrous consequences attendant on the pride of a disappointed girl!'

The predominant taste of Miss B—was novel-reading, which engaged her attention every spare hour she could snatch from other engage. ments. Hence what could she imbibe but false sentiment-what gather but the most erroneous and distorted views of life and morals? Add to this the consciousness of her own beauty, and the large tribute it exacted from all who saw her-the intoxicating, maddening fumes of flattery-ah, me! I should have trembled for her indeed, had she been a daughter of mine! The doting mother, however, seemed to see none of these dangers -to feel none of these apprehensions; and cruel, surely, and impertinent would it have been in us to suggest them. For nearly three months was my wife a guest of Mrs. B's, and a familiar-an affectionate companion of her beautiful daughter. On leaving, my wife pressed Miss B-, (the mother was, of course, out of the question) to pay her a speedy visit in town, and exacted a promise of occasional correspondence. Long after our return to London, was 'the Madonna' a subject of conversation, and many were the anxious wishes and hopes expressed by my wife on her behalf. Miss B- -did not avail herself of the invitation above mentioned, farther than by a hasty passing call at our house during the absence of both of us. One circumstance and another-especially the increasing cares of a family-brought about a slackening, and at length a cessation, of the correspondence betwixt my wife and her friend, the Madonna,' though we occasionally heard of her by friends recently returned from I do not think, however, her name was once mentioned for about three years before the period at which this narrative commences. Now, I suppose the reader can form some idea of the consternation with which I recognised in Sally Edwards' the Madonna' of a former day! The very watch-pockets at the back of our bed were the pretty presents of her whose horrid story I was telling my sobbing wife! I could have torn them from the bed-head, for the sake of their torturing associations! They would not let us sleep in peace. I was startled, during the night, from a doze, rather than from sleep, by the sobs of my wife.

'What's the matter, Emily?' I asked.

'Oh!' she replied; what has become of poor Mrs. B- -! Rely on it she's dead of a broken heart!'

had

For two hours before my usual hour of rising, I lay awake, casting about in my mind by what strange and fatal course of events Miss Bbeen brought into the revolting, the awful circumstances in which I found her. Dreadfully distinct as was the last night's interview in my recollection, I was not wholly free from transient fits of incredulity. I could not identify the two-Eleanor B with Sall Edwards!—All such notions, however, were dissipated by nine o'clock, when I found myself once more by the bedside of Miss Edwards.' She was asleep when I entered; and I motioned the nurse to silence as I stepped noiselessly towards the chair she quitted to make room for me. Oh, my God! did the heart of man ever ache more than mine on that occasion! Was the pitiable object before me Eleanor B? Were they her fair limbs that now lay beneath the filthy bed-clothes? Was the ashy face-the hollow cheek-the sunken

eye-the matted, disordered hair-did all these belong to Eleanor B—, the beautiful Madonna of a former and happier day! Alas for the black hair, braided so tastefully over the proud brow of alabaster, now clammy with the dews of disease and death, seen from amid the dishevelled hair like a neglected grave-stone, pressed down into the ground, and half-overgrown with the dank grass of the church-yard! Alas for the radiant eye! Woe is me!-where is the innocent heart of past years? Oh seraph! fallen from heaven into the pit of darkness and horror-how camest thou here!.

Faint-vain attempt to embody in words some of the agitating thoughts that passed through my mind during the quarter of an hour that I sat beside my sleeping patient! Tears I did not-could not shed. My grief formed no other outlet than a half-smothered sigh-that ransacked, however, every corner of my heart. Everything about me wore the air of desolation and misery. The nurse, wearied with her night's watch, sat near me on the foot of the bed, drooping with drowsiness. The room was small, dirty, and almost destitute of furniture. The rain, seen indistinctly through the few dirty panes of glass, was pouring down as it had been all night. The wind continued to sigh drearily. Then, the house where I was-the receptacle of the vilest of the vile-the very antechamber of hell? When shall I forget that morning-that quarter of an hour's silence and reflection!

And thou FIEND! the doer of all this-would that THOU hadst been there to see it!

A sudden noise made by the nurse woke Miss Edwards. Without moving from the posture in which she lay-on her side, with her face away from me-as she had slept, I found nearly all the night-she opened her eyes, and after looking steadfastly at the wall for a few moments, closed them again. I gently took hold of her hand, and then felt her pulse. She turned her head slowly towards me; and after fixing her eyes on me for an instant with an air of apathy, they widened into a strange stare of alarm, while her white face seemed blanched to even a whiter hue than before. Her lips slowly parted-altogether, I protest my blood chilled beneath what I looked upon. There was no smile of welcome-no appearance of recognition-but she seemed as if she had been woke from dreaming of a frightful spectre that remained visible to her waking eyes.

'Miss B-

Miss Edwards, I mean. How are you?' I inquired. Yes-it-it is'-she muttered, scarcely audible-her eyes fixed unwaveringly upon me.

Have you been in any pain during the night?' I continued.

Without removing her eyes, or making me any answer, she slowly drew up her right hand, all white and thin as it was, and laid it on her heart.

· Ah!' I whispered softly, partly to myself, partly to the nurse—' 'tis the opium-not yet recovered from it.' She overheard me, shook her head slowly-her eyes continuing settled on me as before. I began to wonder whether her intellects were disturbed; for there was something in the settled stare of her eyes that shocked and oppressed me.

"I thought I should never have woke again!' she exclaimed in a low tone, with a faint sigh. 'Suicide! hereafter! she continued to murmur, reminding me of the words with which I had quitted her over-night, and which no doubt had been flickering about her disturbed brain all night

long. I thought it best to rouse her gently from what might prove a fatal lethargy.

'Come, come, you must answer me a few questions. I will behave kindly to you'

Oh, Doctor!' exclaimed the poor girl, in a reproachful tone, turning her head slowly away, as if she wondered I thought it necessary to tell her I would use her kindly.

Well, well, tell me then-how are you?-how do you feel?—have you any pain in breathing? Tell me in the softest whisper you can.' 'Alive, Doctor-that's all. I seem disturbed in my grave! What has been done to me?-Who is that?' she inquired faintly, looking at the nurse.

Oh! she has been sitting by you all night—she has been nursing you.' Miss Edwards opened her hand towards the nurse, who gently shook it. 'You're very kind to me,' she murmured; 'I-I don't deserve it.'

'Every one, Miss Edwards, must be attended when they are ill. We want no thanks-it is our duty.'

'But I am such a base girl'

'Pshaw! you must not begin to talk in that way. Have you felt any fulness-a sort of choking fulness-about your chest, since I saw you last?' She did not seem to hear me, as she closed her eyes, and gave me no reply for several minutes. I repeated the question.

'I-I can't speak,' she sobbed, her lips quivering with emotion.

I saw her feelings overpowered her. I thought it better to leave at once, and not agitate her; so I rose, and entreating the nurse to pay her all the attention in her power, and give her medicine regularly, I left, promising to return, if possible, at noon. Her state was extremely precarious. Her constitution had evidently been dreadfully shattered; everything, in short, was at present against her recovering from the injury her lungs had sustained from the ruptured vessel The least shock, the least agitation of her exquisitely excitable feelings might bring on a second fit of blood-spitting, and then all was over. I trembled when I reflected on the dangerous neighborhood, the disgusting and disease-laden atmosphere she was breathing. I resolved to remove her from it, the instant I could do so with safety, to the Dispensary, where cleanliness and comfort, with change of scene, and assiduous medical attendance, awaited her. My wife was very anxious to visit her, and contribute all in her power, towards her double restoration of body and mind; but that of course was impossible, as long as Miss Edwards lay Court.

in

I need not, however, delay the course of the narrative, by dwelling on the comparatively eventless week that followed. I attended my miserable patient on an average twice and thrice a day, and was gratified at finding no relapse; that she even recovered, though slowly, from the fierce and sudden attack that had been made on her exhausted constitution. During this time, as I never encouraged conversation, confining my inquiries to the state of her health, she said nothing either of interest or importance. Her mind was sunk into a state of the most deplorable despondency, evidenced by long, frequent, deep-drawn sighs. 1 learned from the nurse, that Miss Edwards sometimes moaned piteously during the night,- Oh mother!-mother!-my mother!' She would scarcely open her lips from morning to night, even to answer the most necessary questions. On one occasion I found she opened a little purse that lay under her pillow, took out a solitary five-pound note, and put

it unexpectedly into the nurse's hands, which she clasped at the same time within her own, with a supplicating expression of countenance, as if begging of her to retain the money. When she found that the nurse was firm in her refusal, she put it back into her purse in silence.-' And your heart would have felt for her,' said the nurse, if you had seen her sad face!' I need hardly perhaps mention, that she had pressed the little relic of her wretched gains upon me in a similar manner, till she desisted in despair. On Friday morning, as I was taking my leave of her, she suddenly seized my hand, pressed it to her lips, and, with more energy than her feeble state could well bear, gasped, Oh, that I could but get out of bed to fall down on my knees before you to thank you!-Oh, it would relieve my heart!

Monday, October 15th. Yesterday morning I told Miss Edwards that I thought we might venture to remove her to our Dispensary on the following day; an intimation she appeared to receive with indifference, or rather apathy. I also informed the infamous landlady of my intention, directing her to furnish me with whatever account she might have for lodging, &c., against my patient. Oh! how my soul abhorred the sight of, and sickened at speaking with that hideous bloated old monster! This morning I was at- Court by ten o'clock. Finding nobody stirring about the door, passage, or stairs, I ascended at once to the room of Miss Edwards. As I was passing the landing of the first floor, I overheard, through a half-open door, the voices of persons conversing together. No apology can be necessary for stating that on distinguishing the words 'Sall Edwards' I paused for a moment to listen what plot might be batching against her.

I tell you, we'd better lose no time,' said the voice of a man in a gruff under-tone; we've been here shilly-shallying day after day to no pur pose all the week, till it's nearly to of late. I know the always under her pillow.'

keeps it 'But that creature he has brought to stop with her,' replied a female voice-that of the hateful harridan who owned the house;' what the are you to do with her the while?'

Slap her face for her-knock her down, and be off-that's my way of doing business. Do you remember old Jenkins, eh ?'

There was a faint laugh.

But why couldn't you go up, mother, under pretence of making the bed, and so slip off with the purse?—Now that would be doing it snug, as I calls it.'

'Lord—I make the bed? You know how Sall hates me; and besides, what's that woman up stairs for but to make the bed, and such like? It won't do-no, it won't.'

'Well-I suppose I must.'

Then again, Ikey-there's that d- officious doctor of hers.' Oh, of course, he's as much on the look-out after it as we is, for the matter of that! He's waiting to grab the blunt himself! He calls it his "fee!" ha, ha! We makes no bones on it, but calls it plain robbery-don't we, mother?

But, mother,' said a female voice I had not heard before, 'remember poor Sall's dying.'

'Well, slut,' replied the old woman, and what if she is? Then the loss of a few pounds can't signify, as she's a-going to the 'spensary, where they pays nothing.'

'Well, well, mother,' resumed the man's voice; there's not a moment to be lost. I'd better do what I said.'

I slipped like lightning down stairs-met nobody-hurried into the street and instinctively ran towards the police-office, which was not far off. I soon procured the assistance of an officer, with whom I hastened back to Court. On our way I hurriedly explained to him the state of matters, and directed him to continue in Miss Edwards' room till she was removed to the Dispensary. When we reached the outer door of the house, I suppose my well-known companion was instantly recognized, for a girl at the door, no doubt on the look-out to see if the coast was clear, no sooner set eyes on him than she rushed back into the passage, followed by the officer and me. As she was setting her foot upon the stairs, the powerful hand of the officer snatched her back again into the passage. She was on the point of shouting out; but he silenced her by fiercely shaking his staff in her face.

Aha, my lass! Only speak a word, and I'll break your head open!" said he. Doctor, do you go up at once; and I'll follow you before you've reached the door. I only want to keep this young woman quiet till then.'

I sprung up stairs in an instant, I met no one; but, on opening Miss Edwards's door, to my unutterable astonishment, I saw my usual seat by her bedside occupied by a burly ruffian of the lowest order. He seemed sitting quietly enough;-though the nurse was speaking to him in great agitation. On my entering the room, he turned round; then suddenly thrust his hand beneath Miss Edwards's pillow, and made for the door, with a hasty air of defiance. Before he had reached it, the officer on the stairs bad thrust it open.

Stop that man-he has stolen something,' said I, in as low a tone as my alarm would allow me; and the officer instantly collared him. 'I stolen something, you- ·liar?' exclaimed the ruffian, in a low furious tone, turning towards me.

Come-none of that there jaw, Dick! Be quiet-be quiet, man!' and he presented to him a pistol ready cocked. Now will you come down with me quietly?-or, will you be carried down with your brains blown out? Quick.'

His prisoner appeared preparing for a struggle.

I'm sorry for the sick lady, sir,' said the officer hurriedly to me; "twill frighten her;-but I must fire!'

'For God's sake avoid it if possible,' I gasped in the utmost trepidation.

'Now, listen Dick -,' said the officer, furiously tightening his grasp, till his bonny knuckles seemed buried in the flesh of his prisoner-' if you stop a moment, d-me-but I'll fire at you-come what may! The pistol was almost touching his ear, and I turned away with horror, expecting every instant to hear the fatal report. I wished to heaven the fellow had taken all the money quietly!

'Why you devil! would you murder me!'-shouted the prisoner, dropping into a passive attitude-' where's your warrant?"

'Here!' replied the officer, pressing his pistol against his prisoner's check-off with you!

Oh mercy! mercy! mercy!'-shrieked the voice of Miss Edwards, whom the loud voice of the thief had awoke from the deep sleep procured by sedative medicines. She started suddenly up in bed, into a kneeling posture, her hands clasped together-and her face turned towards the group at the door with the wildest terror. I hurried to her side