to close the ear of Elizabeth, then irritated by the failure of the expedition, to all representations in my favour. In short, I was compelled to fly for my life; but wishing, before I bade a final adieu to Britain, to see Bertha, and to entrust her with the care of my child, I came hither, though under the most imminent risk of detection, and contrived through the agency of two faithful servants, who followed me cautiously, and by agreement, from Ireland, and were natives of the country, to apprise Bertha of my situation, and to appoint a day and hour for our meeting.

"So closely, indeed, was I pursued by mine enemies, at the head of whom was the wretch who had formerly addressed my sister, that I did not dare to make myself. known even to Simon Fraser, though assured of his fidelity, lest I should bring ruin upon his head. A similar motive, together with the circumstance that I knew you not personally, whilst I was moreover aware that you differed widely from me in politics, induced a similar resolution with regard to yourself, and has laid, in fact, the foundation of all our mutual misery..

"Think then, thus situated, thus dogged, as it were, by blood-hounds, what must have been my feelings, as alarmed by the exclamation of Bertha, who called out in terror the name of her husband, I beheld you, Montchensey, rushing sword in hand upon me, and branding me as you came forward with the name of villain ! The first idea which flashed upon my mind was, that you had become an instrument in the hands of my persecutors, a prepossession which, on recovering from the state of insensibility in which I had been left by the issue of the contest, was encouraged by the presence of those who then surrounded me, and who, I soon learnt, were the officers of justice. They had traced me, I understood, to Wyeburne, had followed me to the place of interview with Bertha, and had found me weltering in my blood. Their first object, as soon as they discovered that life was not extinct, had been to convey me to some distance from Wyeburne, lest a rescue should be attempted. It was here, in a mean hovel, and in one of the most secluded glens of this mountainous district, that I gradually recovered my strength, though not with

out being tracked by the ingenuity and perseverance of my Irish followers. These faithful servants, or rather friends, as I might more properly term them, had, after hunting out my place of detention, watched night and day for an opportunity of liberating me from the fangs of my gaolers. They were not able, however, to effect their purpose, until having recruited sufficient strength to enable me to travel, on the second day of my removal from the cottage, as we were passing through a wood towards the dusk of the evening, and one of the three officers who attended me had lingered behind, he was suddenly attacked by these brave fellows, wounded, and disarmed, before his companions could come to his assistance. I need scarcely add, that arms having been thrown to me by one of my servants, I gave them every aid in my power, and we finally succeeded, after a desperate struggle, in disabling our opponents, leaving them in a state which would at least preclude them, for a long time, from all possibility of pursuit.

"The first enquiry which I made of my liberators, who had remained for some days at

Wyeburne after my seizure, was as to what had circulated there relative to myself and Montchensey, and I was rejoiced to find that though the disappearance of the wounded man had excited a great and general surprise, my name had not transpired, hushed up, as I presumed, by the care and caution, and injunction of my opponent. They further told me, that the grief and remorse of Montchensey, under the firm persuasion that he had slain the stranger, was reported to be extreme, allowing him scarce a moment's peace night or day; a piece of information which, at first, I could not credit, so unaccountable did it appear to me that the man who had evidently sought my life, should feel regret at the success of his attempt. Subsequent enquiry, however, made not only previous to my leaving England, but for years after reaching the continent, left me no doubt as to the fact, and I now shudder to record, that I enjoyed a malignant spirit of revenge in employing every effort to prevent a knowledge of my existence ever mitigating the sufferings of my supposed betrayer.

"It was in furtherance of this unchristian-like

design, that, when just before my bidding farewell to my native land, as I then thought for ever, I wished to place my little Hubert under the care of Simon Fraser, the only individual whom I could then trust with such an office, I represented him not only as the son of a friend, but charged Simon, as he valued my safety, nay, my very existence, never to mention my name in the transaction, nor even to hint that he knew I was in being, requiring from him a promise to this effect, under the most solemn and sacred obligations. Indeed by no one, save this faithful retainer of my father's house, my banker, of whose silence I was well assured, and my friend Shakspeare here, was I known to be surviving; and the latter, in the only letter which he received from me many years ago, was enjoined, under the same plea of personal security to myself, a like degree of secrecy as to the fact of my existence. And what has been the result of this plan? What, but in as far as it has been founded on implacable revenge, misery to myself and all my connections!"

"For myself alone, Raymond," exclaimed Montchensey," as deeply repentant of the error