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his abode, for he could not suppose her appearance to have been accidental-that she should have been able to 30 gain admittance to the house, barricadoed as it was— and that she should have presented herself at the moment when he was at the last gasp of life, to chase away his intended murderess by her presence-presented a combination of mysteries, which he was still vainly endeavouring to unravel, when he yielded to the influence of the powerful opiate he had swallowed, and sunk into a deep refreshing sleep, from which he did not awake until the following morning. Even his returning recollection, and a sensation of renovated strength, could hardly persuade him that the scene of the preceding night was other than a frightful dream, until his eyes fell upon the silver flask, with whose grateful contents he again refreshed himself, and awaited in patience the return of his fair visitant. The conviction that some favourable change had occurred in his complaint, combined with a night of unbroken sleep, had so exhilarated his mind, that, although he had lately contemplated death with the resignation of despair, he now clung to the thought of protracted existence, with all the eagerness of rekindled hope.

While he was indulging these delicious reveries, Constantia made her appearance, and inquired after the health of her patient, who stated his confident belief that the crisis of his disease was over, and that he might venture to pronounce himself a convalescent. « It is well," she replied: « these are, indeed, joyful tidings, that call upon us to repeat the medicine, to which alone, under God, so merciful a relief can be ascribed ;»

and she fell upon her knees, pouring forth thanksgiv ings for the favour that had been vouchsafed, and imploring the perfect re-establishment of his health, with a fervour and beauty of holiness, not less conspicuous than in the devotions of the preceding night.

This duty being discharged, she sate down by the bed-side, and, casting her eyes upon the ground, thus addressed him, in a calm and solemn voice. « It is soothing to me, to believe that Heaven, by thus having listened to my prayers, is not displeased with the part I have been acting; it is an inexpressible consolation to my heart, to know that I have been the instrument of 'saving your life, and of calling you, as I trust the event will prove, to a redeeming sense of the mercy you have experienced. But I feel that some explanation is necessary; I fear that, however you may have been benefited by my interference, it may strike you as a deviation from that strict observance of decorum, which is so inexorably prescribed to our sex. This dreadful pestilence, with which we have been visited, instead of chastening the minds of the people, has only loosened the bonds of morality, and too many have been found to say, 'let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die.' Irresponsibility has engendered crime; precariousness of existence has been rendered an excuse for increased voluptuousness and sensuality. And thus it has ever been. Boccacio could imagine no more fitting occupa tion for the most intellectual natives of Florence, during the great plague, than to luxuriate in delicious gardens, and dedicate the few hours that might be left them, to dalliance, revelry, and licentious story-telling.

You will not confound me with these. I would not deviate from the established forms of society into folly or profligacy; but I would depart from them at all times, and more especially at a moment like the present, when I can in any way contribute by their violation to the welfare of my fellow-creatures; not to lose myself, but to save another, do I now disregard the fastidious ordinances of mankind. This is the clue to my conduct. What I have done for you, I should have felt it my duty to perform for a stranger, though I frankly confess that it enhances my pleasure to have contributed to the preservation of Mr Compton.">

Jocelyn declared that his previous knowledge of her character would have precluded his assigning any other than the purest and noblest motives to her conduct, and implored her to give him credit for a deep and indelible sense of gratitude, both to Heaven and to herself; though he was still at a loss to account for the circumstances of her most providential appearance, in the very crisis of his fate.

<< That," said Constantia, « is easily explained: at the breaking out of the plague, I was visiting at Alderman Staunton's, and knowing the efficacy of the measure, by our own previous experience, when visited with this calamity at Rotterdam, I recommended him to shut up the doors of his residence, and cut off all communication from without. Some years ago, he had nearly lost his life from a fire, and as this and the intervening house are his own property, as well as the one he inhabits, he constructed a railed communication upon the roof, to facilitate escape, should he be exposed to a si

milar peril; and along this gallery, being debarred all other opportunities of air and exercise, his family have been accustomed to walk. Invited by the warmth of the weather, I took my lamp, and was pacing along it last night, when, just as I reached its extremity, methought I heard a faint cry of distress. This house, like many others, has a small circular room upon the top of it, for the purpose of smoking tobacco. I lifted up one of the sashes—the cries were continued—I stepped into the room, and, hurrying to the apartment whence the sounds proceeded, was fortunate enough to rescue you from the grasp of the harpy by whom you were assailed.">

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« Any other female than Constantia Beverning," said Jocelyn, & would have been deterred by the fear of danger, even if she had not been appalled by the paramount dread of infection; and I shudder when I think to what risk your generous courage may have exposed you."

«Yielding to the impulse of the moment," replied Constantia, «no apprehensions entered my mind, nor do they disturb me now, for I am provided with an antidote which effectually preserved me in Holland, although I braved the fury of the distemper by visiting many of my poorer pensioners, when they were suffering from its attack. I am no inexperienced doctress in this complaint, and I undertake to pronounce that you cannot communicate it, for it has already left you. You will recover, but you will still need a nurse, and I am bound to supply that character, since it was I who chased away your former attendant. Indeed you have

a double claim upon my services, for it was by my advice that the Alderman closed up his doors; I thus became the unintentional author of your expulsion from his house."

« Were you, then, aware that I had made application for admittance?» inquired Jocelyn.

« The servant to whom you applied,» answered Constantia, blushing, « mentioned your name, adding that he had seen you enter our neighbour's lodging-house.»> " Then your astonishment at our meeting was not of course so lively as my own," observed Jocelyn.

« Our servant had seen you again quit the house," said Constantia, fixing her eyes upon the ground, « and had not marked your return, so that I had reason to hope you were no longer its inmate. But I must not thus neglect my patient: I have brought you another cordial, whose influence, I trust, will be not less salutary than the last; and two books calculated to afford you consolation and recreation. Body and mind will be thus jointly restored, and at my return this afternoon I hope to find that my patient has done justice to both my prescriptions. Farewell!» The volume intended for his consolation was the bible; the other, which was also in folio, was Pharamond, one of those chivalrous romances of Walter de Calprenede, which found peculiar favour in Constantia's eyes, because it sublimised the passion of love into a quintessence of refinement, much better adapted to angelic natures than to those of flesh and blood.

In the statement she had made to Jocelyn there was nothing disingenuous; a noble and proud candour was