poured out on her the pent-up flood of my contempt, indignation, and abhorrence; and she trembled in pallid shame. I saw she was humbled to the dust with fear, and rung from her reluctant lips the whole history of her infamy. It was a common case. An excess of vanity disguised by matchless craft, made her seek to become above her natural station. She sought to be the envy of her companions, by wearing of such ornament as they could not obtain. These she cared not to obtain honestly, though she employed an exhaustless stock of artifice to make it appear they were so acquired. The tempter was at hand, ready to take advantage of her evil-disposedness. A few trinkets and other pretty baubles, with a fair commodity of oaths and flatteries, completed the bargain. The price paid, she sold herself, body and soul. Still I stopped not here. I insisted on the name of her companion in iniquity. After a while she gave it. It was mine enemy.

"He had seen where I had stored up all my hopeshe had noticed my infinite pains-taking to make my happiness complete-he had watched-eagerly-delightedly watched the progress of the enamored game I was playing, till I had staked every thought and feeling on the issue; and then he came with his damnable base villainy, and so cheated me, I not only lost what I had staked, but lost myself as well. At the mention of his name I flung her from me like a toad: and as the fearstruck wretch lay prostrate before me, I heaped on her. guilty soul the abundant measure of my honest execrations. She hid her face in her hands, and writhed like a bruised worm; but I left her not till I had exhausted every term of infamy and scorn I had at my will. Doubtless, though the next hour she went about wearing of the same simple, artless, innocent countenance as first attracted me; and as token of her worthiness, exhibited to her envious companions the letters and verses of my writing, wherein I bestowed on her that estimable rare clothing with which true love delighteth to attire its deity and, I make no manner of question, hath

since palmed herself off on others, as she strove to do with me, as the purest, kindest and best among the most admirable of her sex.

"As for the villain that did me this intolerable wrong, I sought him in all places, but he managed to elude the strictness of my search. If there remain for me one glimpse of happiness in this world, it can only come when I shall toss his body to the ravens, and leave his bones a crumbling monument of matchless perfidy, to whiten in the blast. Bowed down, as I am, with the weight of those memories which crush my humanity to the dust, my arm seems nerved,and all my limbs clothed with a giant's power, whenever I see in my mind's eye the arrival of my day of vengeance. I know it will come. Nature hath been outraged beyond all previous example. The punishment shall be in proportion to the offence. The breath of life is kept within my miserable frame only by an unconquerable desire to execute this natural decree; and till that longed-for time shall come, the scorn, the detestation, the hatred, the contempt, the disgust, the loathing and abhorrence that bubbles from my heart, will fall, for want of being discharged upon its proper object, upon those who have the ill hap to come within my influence.

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Boy!" exclaimed John a Combe, in a voice scarce audible from the greatness of his emotions, "when I think of what I might have become, and behold what I am, my heart feels as if it would shiver in my breast. There are many who may still remember me in my better days, but I doubt they knew the happiness I had then in myself and my doings. From philanthropy to usury is a huge step; yet I took it at a bound. Mayhap I am mad-I have had cause enough for it—but I can assert of a certainty, I am-most miserable."

William Shakspeare had listened to the preceding narration with exceeding interest; but the last few words were spoken with such a touching earnestness, he was more deeply moved than ever he had been in his life before. He saw this was no case for common consolations -he therefore attempted nothing of the sort.

"Never breathe to me a word of woman's honorableness," coutinued the usurer, with increased earnestness. "This creature that I had worshipped with so pure a spirit, whose worthiness I exalted above all virtue, and whose excellence I so honored, it outtopped every example of goodness, not only did me this inhuman wrong out of her own infinite baseness; but as soon as I had rid myself of her infamous society, she took to slandering me with the coarse, vile coloring of the blackest inalice -thinking, by so doing, my testimony of her shame would not be believed. I alone had knowledge of her evil doing the fear which guilt produces continually haunted her and she strove to save her reputation by destroying mine. She gave out I had sought to use her dishonestly, so she would have none of me; and accused me of such horrible behaving as none but the degraded, debased thing she had made herself, could have conceived. Here, then, was I by my abundant love of virtue, and prodigal generousness, in seeking to make others happy, stripped hopeless-and then daubed with the pitch of infamy! I have said nought of this matter hitherto, believing I might escape the outstretched finger, and the reviling eye, of the unjust world, by a strict secrecy. My pride would not allow of my offering one word in my own defence, convinced that men's minds have such an inclination for villainy, they will readily entertain it, let it come in any shape. No where will 'there be found any sympathy for abused confidence, for the man that is deceived is looked upon as a poor weak fool, that should have had more wit than to have suffered such cozening.

"I felt convinced that every one around me were striving to get to a knowledge of my secret, that they might enjoy the pleasure of thinking ill of me, so I was beforehand with them-abused all, and kept all from the slightest approach to that familiarity which they desired should lead to contempt. But what a life is this I am living! and when I behold thy fresh young nature pursuing the same course which mine hath gone, have I not reason to

fear it will come to a like dreadful ending? Boy! look at me, and pause in thy career. I have been as thou art now a worshipper of fair appearances. I loved the goodly garnishing of the bright world, and would have rushed against a thousand levelled spears in defence of its integrity. Thou seest me here decrepid in my prime, inwardly affected with a moral leprosy, that eateth my heart to the core-outwardly, one entire sore, that causeth me to shrink from the world as from a scorching fire. I am at strife with my fellows-I am at war with myselfthe day bringeth no peace for me-the night no repose. Merciful God!" exclaimed the unhappy usurer, in his deep frenzy, clasping his hands together, with a wild look of agony and supplication. "Is there no peace for the guiltless? Is there nought but perpetual torture for the doer of good? Tear not my heart strings with so rude a grasp! I have wronged none. I have loved all. I have worshipped fervently each excellent evidence of thy perfect handiwork. Let not mine enemy prevail against me. He hath done me most intolerable injury. Pity for my undeserved sufferings! Justice against the villainy that produced thein ! Mercy! help! vengeance!"

Shouting these last words in the most piercing tones, John a Combe tottered forward a few steps, and before his young companion could reach the place where he was, fell exhausted upon the floor.

CHAPTER XI.

Is this your manly service?

A devil scorns to do it.

MASSINGER.

O sacred innocence! that sweetly sleeps
On turtles' feathers, whilst a guiltly conscience
Is a black register, wherein is writ

All our good deeds and bad--a perspective
That shows us hell.

WEBSTER.

Drink to-day, and drown all sorrow,
You shall, perhaps, not do it to-morrow.
Best while you have it use your breath;
There is no drinking after death.

BEN JONSON.

Now, whether it were providence, or luck,
Whether the keeper's or the stealer's buck,
There we had venison.

BISHOP CORBET.

"SEE that this plot of thine have a more profitable issue than thy preceding ones."

"It cannot fail, my lord, it is so cunningly devised." "So thou saidst of the others, yet I reaped no advantage of them."

"That was owing to no fault of mine, believe me, but to circumstances which, as it was clean impossible they could be foreseen of the piercingest wit, it is plain they could not have been prevented."

Thus spoke two of whom the reader hath already some acquaintance-to wit, the licentious noble and his villainous assistant; and they were sitting together in a small mean chamber of an obscure inn in the neighborhood of Charlcote the former, as usual, so closely wrapped up, as if he feared being recognized; and the other in finer feather than he had ever been in before, as though he was intent in playing some exceeding gallant part.

"I marvel, my lord, you should waste so much labor on so poor an object," observed the meaner villain.