going to increase the heat of the room, when I am already suffering from fever."

"Your sufferings will soon be over,” said the hag," and it is better to think of the living than the dead. Fire keeps off infection; and, besides, I may as well dress my supper here, as be running up and down stairs." Jocelyn declared that he would much rather be without her attendance, and implored her to desist; but argument and expostulation were alike thrown away, and she proceeded in her work, without even deigning to notice his objections. Had her patient been in good health, this was precisely an occasion when he would have been seized with one of those fits of coler, to which he was occasionally liable: he was, indeed, somewhat irate in spirit, but reflecting that submission was his only alternative, in his present helpless state, he suffered her to proceed without farther parley. Spite of her sinister predictions, his sensations fortified him in the belief of some change in his malady, and availing himself of her next absence,

from the chamber, he yielded to a drowsy sensation that oppressed him, and fell fast asleep.

After some hours he was awakened by a noise, which he found to be the snoring of his nurse. It was now night. On the blazing fire was a saucepan containing some concoction for her supper; two candles, with long unsnuffed wicks were flaring on a table, upon which were also placed the preparations for her meal, a large knife and fork, and a flask of spirits. The gaunt and bony hag was stretched in an armchair, her head supported by a pillow, and her feet resting on the fender. While he was gazing at the scene before him she awoke, and having ascertained the hour by a watch which she took from her pocket, and which he recollected to have belonged to the landlady, she cast a scrutinizing glance towards the bed. An impulse of mingled suspicion and curiosity, induced Jocelyn still to counterfeit sleep; she brought one of the candles close to his face, as if to assure herself of the fact, and again retired

towards the fire-place, apparently convinced that she was unobserved.

Peering through his nearly-closed eyes he now saw her take a key from the mantelpiece, unlock his portmanteau, and rummage amid its contents, whence she drew forth the purse of gold he had borrowed from the landlady, the miniature of the queen, and his diamond-hilted sword, the two former of which she deposited upon the table, and held the latter to the light, as if to ascertain whether they were real brilliants. A glare of horrid satisfaction passed over her features as she recognized the value of the prize, and Jocelyn, who began to think she meditated something more atrocious than robbery, was not at all dissatisfied at seeing her wrap up the weapon in a cloak, and hide it in the closet. He had not long, however, to congratulate himself, for she had no sooner gently shut the closet-door, than she took up the pillow on which she had been sleeping, and, advancing two or three steps on

tiptoe, she at length sprang, like a tigress, upon her prey, leaping upon the bed, and covering over Jocelyn's face with the pillow, upon which she then leant the whole weight of her body, with the intention of smothering him.

So sudden and unexpected was the assault, that he had not time to elude it, but weakened as he was, he struggled violently for his life, and by a prodigious effort, in which nature summoned all her remaining energies, he succeded in extricating himself from the pillow, crying out at the same time, as loudly as his strength permitted-"Help! murder! murder!"

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'Noisy fool!" said the fury, renewing her attack-" there is no one to hear you; and if there were, they have long ceased to notice such cries. Murder, indeed! when you are a dead man already! Here's a coil about two or three hours of life!"-Again she forced him down with the pillow-his struggles became fainter and fainter-his groans and cries were no longer audible-she pressed with in

creased violence upon his mouth-respiration was stopped-and the beldame thought her fell purpose was accomplished; when the door opened, and a stately female figure, attired in black, and holding a lamp in her right hand, glided suddenly into the chamber.

At sight of this apparition, the hag, uttering a shout of terror, threw down the pillow, rushed through an opposite door, flew down the stairs, and burst out of the house.