life was to be the one in which I should be united to Miss Fortescue, and that then, abjuring all falsehood, I should give up Homœopathy amongst the rest. But when a man has given himself into the hands of Satan, it is easier for him to make resolves to extricate himself, than to do it; he is more cunning than man, and when his victim, who has triumphed by his means, has grown rich enough to trade on his own account, and wishes to quit his service, then he is sure to pounce on the ungrateful wretch, who would deny his benefactor, and plunge him into misfortune, deep in proportion, as the elevation has been high, to which he has raised him, by the frailest of all diabolic contrivances—a ladder of lies!

CHAPTER XVI.

"Ceux qui se plaignent de la fortune, n'ont souvent à se plaindre que d' eux mêmes."-VOLTAIRE.

"The trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall arise."

Epitaph on Mrs. Langdon's Monument, near Berne.

"Hast thou found me, O mine enemy ?"-1st Kings.

I RETURNED home that evening, in positive ill humour, and my temper was not at all improved, by finding, amongst other letters, one from Fritz Kobelt.

It stated, that he had ingratiated himself so much with Mr. Smith, that he had been appointed confidential servant and own man, and he was now fully enabled to appreciate the intensity of his hatred to me, whom he called the Destroyer of his Angel; his own Mutilator; that cursed Quack; sometimes working himself into fits of rage, which rendered it dangerous to approach him; at other times, bitterly lamenting his own folly, in having consulted me, and at all times uttering threats of the most direful intent.

Mr. Abernethy had allowed him to sit up for several hours each day, and had frequently told him he was impeding his recovery, by indulging in those malignant fits of passion. On those occasions, he used to say, through his set teeth

"Well, well, I'll be calm, quiet as a lamb! but be quick and get me well, till I hunt that villain out of England, and prevent his committing more atrocities."

Sometimes he would fall into fits of despondency, and weep over a miniature of his daughter, for hours, then say he had nothing to live for, and it was a pity the murderer had not sacrificed both. His expressions, at times, were ludicrous; but no one dared laugh at them one of these was, a wish" that the ghost of his amputated leg might be employed kicking the German to all eternity."

Abernethy had promised that he should be rigged with the timber substitute for his own good leg, in ten days; and meantime he was permitted to use crutches. The letter concluded by stating, that the only thing occupying Smith's thoughts was anxiety for vengeance.

I wrote immediately to Kobelt, to give me due notice of every move in Devonshire, and threw myself on my bed to dream of horrors, in the enacting of which, Smith Smithson Smith was ever prominent, flourishing the lost and bleeding limb, and ever pursuing me, palsied with terror, and unable to fly.

For the next few days I felt the greatest difficulty in concealing my anxiety from Miss Fortescue; I was afraid that her acute discriminating mind would discover my difficulties, and then I felt sure she would withdraw her affections from me I did my utmost to appear cheerful in her company, but the effort was an unnatural struggle, and a most painful one. I felt inexpressible relief, not very lover-like to be sure, when

she told me that it would be necessary for her to pay a week's visit to the metropolis, in order to arrange some legal affairs; of course, my tongue belied my thought, and I prayed her not to remain longer than was absolutely necessary.

"You may rely upon it, I shall remain as short a time away as possible; but you know that Law pays very little regard to Love, except in forging its fetters. However, in my absence, you may speak to my dear mother on the subject nearest to both our hearts, and I have broken down all obstacles, in the way of your doing so. My uncle is the only other person I care to consult; but I know he would never put any restraint on my feelings, and as I am determined to do as I like, I should wish to speak to him myself, and wheedle him out of all opposition: poor fellow, he has been very ill, and has met a woeful loss lately, which has greatly depressed his spirits: but you have only to show him Skyscraper, and he will instantly form a good opinion of his owner, for he is a great lover of horses. One other thing I must also entrust to your care, should the monument for my cousin's grave arrive during my absence, be kind to that dear, interesting boy, who planned it, and let him be received by my mother, and cared for at Hounsley, as well as if he belonged to a different circle; be his family what it may, he belongs to the aristocracy of Genius. This is all I have to say, my dearest William, except that I hope to find you better health and spirits on my return."

We parted.

in

Fate had decreed we never should

again meet, on similar terms; but this, I did not surImise at the time.

Exactly a week, from the date of our evening visit to the Church-yard, I was riding quietly in the same direction, when something, unusually white, caught my eye, amongst the sombre and time-tinted tombs in the enclosure. On approaching, I could hardly believe that the design of the young artist was accomplished, and that the beautiful idea stood substantially before me; yet so it was; and the fair-haired, blue-eyed boy, Charlie Simmonds, was contemplating, in delight, the first work he had been allowed to have accomplished, entirely under his own directions. Five or six workmen, in leathern aprons, stood around, obeying the minute directions of the child they all loved.

It was a tableau vivant, of the most exquisite kind, representing the triumph of mind over matter,-of genius over force. The setting sun threw a deep red tint over the features of the men, and flashed back in gold from the sunny tresses of the lad, as he moved about hatless and jacketless, now touching a point lightly with a chisel, now directing some part to be polished afresh. Old Groves stood by, with a great crowbar in his hands, which he was totally unable to manage; but, from the importance of his look and gesture, it was evident that he considered the fixing and placing of the whole monument, depended on himself and his useless endeavours.

Giving my horse to a boy, I entered the enclosure