time, as loudly as his strength permitted-"Help! murder! murder !" "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 increased 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. CHAPTER III. "This is a creature Would she begin a sect might quench the zeal SHAKSPEARE. ON recovering his senses, and again opening his eyes, Jocelyn beheld a beautiful vision standing by his bed-side, and holding a cordial to his lips, which, with a dulcet voice, she entreated him to drink. Still bewildered in his faculties, he knew not at first whether he were under the influence of some delightful dream, or whether he had indeed passed through the gate of death, and was invited to quaff from the chalice of immortality by one of the angels of heaven. His lips moved in faint endeavours to speak, but finding himself too much exhausted to articulate a word, he obeyed in silence the behest of the ministering spirit. Invigorated by the cordial, he gathered strength enough to exclaim, as he again leant back upon the pillow "Gracious Heaven! am I in a dream, or is it, indeed, Constantia Beverning ?" "Compose yourself," replied Constantia," and do not attempt to speak. You have been wonderfully preserved. The hand of the Lord has been stretched forth to save you let us call upon him to complete the work of mercy, for no arm of flesh can turn aside the dart of death that is still hovering over you."-Kneeling down by his bed-side, she drew forth a book of prayer, and, with a countenance irradiated by holy fervour, and a voice whose inimitable sweetness rendered the solemn earnestness of its expression still more emphatic, she proceeded to read extracts from the ninety-first psalm : "I will say unto the Lord, Thou art my hope and my strong hold, my God, in whom will I trust. For He shall deliver thee from the snare of the hunter, and from the noisome pestilence.He shall defend thee under his wings, and thou shalt be safe under his feathers; his faithfulness and truth shall be thy shield and buckler.-Thou shalt not be afraid for any terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day. For the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor for the sickness that destroyeth in noon day.-A thousand shall fall beside thee, and ten thousand at thy right hand. He shall call upon me, and I will hear him yea, I am with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and bring him to honour.-With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation." She closed the book, and casting up her large and glorious eyes to heaven, commenced an extempore prayer, which fell from her lips with a fine spontaneous eloquence, that nothing but deep feeling and fervent piety could inspire. Jocelyn's right hand was extended, powerless, upon the bed. She took it up in the midst of her supplications, pressed it between both of her's, and, lifting it upwards, implored Heaven, with an increased enthusiasm, to allay the disease that throbbed in its veins, and restore it to its strength. He thought that a tear glistened in her eye, as she felt the fever burning within him. At any other time, and in any other female, there might have appeared some impropriety in the action; but the pure and sanctified thoughts of Constantia at that moment were unmixed with any earthly feeling; and Jocelyn knew that she was defying death, rather than courting any of the considerations of life, when in the sublime heroism of her devotion she pressed his infected hand. Not having, however, the power to withdraw it, he yielded it passively to her control, looking on, and listening to her accents, with a mingled impression of amazement at her presence, and of pious confidence in the efficacy of her intercessions. At the conclusion of her prayer she arose, and seeing Jocelyn about to speak, she laid her finShe ther ger upon her lips, to enjoin silence. VOL. III. 6 * placed a silver flask by his bed-side, of which she desired him to drink whenever he should awake in the night; and calling upon Heaven once more to bless and deliver him from the pestilence, she vanished from the room, promising, however, to revisit him in the morning. Jocelyn remained for a long time lost in the most perplexing and contradictory speculations. That she should be in England at all, when the two countries were involved in war-that she should have discovered his abode, for he could not suppose her appearance to have been accidental that she should have been able to gain admittance to the house, barricadoed as it wasand that she should have presented herself at the very 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 |