pretended; his rage and indignation were beyond all bounds; for it seems, that both by affection and promise, he was engaged to a lady in his own country. Deceived as he had been, he still considered himself indissolubly bound to Biancha; and though he left her, he furnished her with money, and through her supplied my necessities. Lord Burton, I have ever since followed you indefatigably; I soon found that the idea of my death had destroyed your peace, and I gloried in your wretchedness. But this was not sufficient; I made myself acquainted with every part of your history and connexions, for the sole purpose of wounding you more deeply, and for the last year have scarcely ever lost sight of you. I followed you to England, and by one means or another, I discovered your plan of travelling with your cousin Charles, I traced you to Sturford Abbey, and coming across you by accident, had a convincing proof that you had not forgot my supposed death. I saw your eye fix

on

on me, the instantaneous change in your countenance, and the violence with which

you reined in your horse: I saw also your fall, and odd as it may seem, I was fearful lest you had killed yourself; for to pursue you had become almost necessary to my. existence; and I was alarmed lest I should lose the object of my hate, without my hand striking the blow. Amongst the inquiries I made, I found that your only sister was residing with her aunt, near Ilfracombe; and in a moment I formed a plan for carrying her off. Extravagant as the idea might seem at first sight, I knew that boldness and decision would often effect the most improbable undertakings. I revolved in my own mind the bitterness of your mortification, and how immensely I might gain, could I once convey her to France. I set no bounds to the prospects. it held out, and determined to undertake it, let it cost me what it would. What followed you must know; I had her, as I thought, completely in my power, when

she was rescued by your cousin Charles. He struck me, and he disappointed meand I marked him from that moment for

my vengeance. I then followed you both to Paris, and instigated the count de L, by an anonymous letter, to challenge your cousin, to whom the consequences would have been fatal, had not you interfered and saved him. In Italy I came up with you near Locarno, and fired into the carriage; it mattered little to me which the ball struck, but it happened that you both escaped, and to get out of the way of pursuit, I crossed the country towards Turin. Here I got news of your sister and lady Anne Milsome, and once more fancied them in my power. It chanced that the keeper of one of the inns where I knew they must stop, had been an old gambling companion of mine at Milan; he had gone regularly down from soldier to gamester, and from gambler to assassin (or something very like it), and had, at last, dwindled into an innkeeper under the Austrian

yoke.

yoke. This man readily entered into my plans, and by overturning a cart in the road, we compelled your sister to remain the night at his house: but again my scheme was frustrated, by the arrival of the baron, who, with his servants, formed too strong a guard to admit a chance of our success. Disappointments but enraged me the more, and having watched them to Turin, I went on to intercept them on the road to Florence. I learned in that city that Biancha's brother had entered into the designs of the carbonari, and had with difficulty made his escape into the Apennines, where he lurked about, with many others in the same situation, living by plunder, or any means that occurred. This was the very sort of man I wanted, and seeking him out, I claimed kindred with him. Biancha, who was with his party, readily admitted me as her husband, for the affection she once bore me still lingered in her breast. Her brother, however, was suspicious of me-indeed our I 6 characters

characters never assimilated: he lent himself, however, to my plan of stopping your sister, and his companions were eager for the sum they expected to gain; but lady Anne Milsome delayed so long on the road, that I found these banditti beginning to regard me with a threatening aspect; and when she did come, your cousin Charles again defeated my plan, and by promising an enormous ransom, gained the forbearance of the robbers. To this, of course, I opposed myself; but they were bent upon it, and murmured so loudly, that I was obliged to make the best retreat I could. I was now a beggar upon the wide world, without any thing but my pistols and my horse; this last I sold at Florence, and made my way on foot to Naples, where I was destined once more to meet with you. But I must stop for awhile, for I am fatigued."

Lord Burton begged that he would pause, and retired with the baron into another room; though they both promised,

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