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rude pair of steps

brought me to the plain above, and from that point the house which I sought was visible at no great distance. I listened for a moment to catch the sound of any footsteps in the vicinity, but nothing was audible save the low plash of the waves beating on the shore. Moving silently along, I went up the avenue.

The tangled grass and the high roots of the old trees obliged me to walk very cautiously. The shade was deep and concealed me perfectly, while the objects beyond were exhibited with meridian clearness. The white light of the moon lay upon the opposite house like day, and so extraordinary was the distinctness with which every object was visible to the sight, that I could not help pausing to look at the prospect; a distinctness even greater than the day, for the glare of the sun forms a sort of concealment. While I was looking at the house, I saw the door of it slowly opened. I instantly drew back and concealing myself behind a tree awaited the result. After a short pause a man came out and closed the door carefully be hind him. He was enveloped in a long cloak, with a broad hat over his eyes and very large whiskers and moustaches. He walked noiselessly along the porch and then leaving it, came towards the trees, apparently to go, as I was going, by the back way to the gaming-house. When he reached the shade, instead of taking the direction I had expected, he turned down the avenue, and to my dismay came directly towards me. I remained breathless in my concealment.

The stranger came silently on, not through the middle of the path, but very closely to that row of trees under which I was resting. He walked very slowly, his motion apparently impeded by his cloak, and looking round him with great caution. The trunk which sheltered me was large, but I felt almost certain that I should be discovered by him as he passed; and a detection, besides being awkward, might defeat the object which I had in view. he came near, I stooped down and crept silently round the tree so as to escape his eye if possible as he went by. He was at this time almost upon me, and as I moved he stopped, and then came directly towards my hiding-place. He paused again and I could hear him breathing. I gave myself up for lost. Without a hope of escape I remained

As

seen me.

motionless; and he passed on, apparently without having When he reached the bank he stopped a moment, and looked carefully along the shore and then descended the steps. When he was gone I came from behind my shield, and proceeded cautiously to the end of the trees. I then ran rapidly round the field and reached the gaming-house. The back door stood a-jar, and I entered.

VOL. I.

CHAPTER VIII.

You paid me but a hungry compliment
To think I should be looked for, there.-
I am right glad it was a folly.

BEN JONSON.

Several tables for

THE gaming-room was quite full. whist and ecarté were ranged along the sides, and a hilliard-table stood in the centre. The apartment was a large one and did not connect with any other, excepting by a single door on each side, which was closed. At a glance, I perceived that the hero of the cloak was not among the company, but I determined to await his arrival, having already taken it for granted, that it was to this place that he was coming. At the card-tables along the sides, there presided silence deep as "ere the winds were born:" the space to the middle was filled with persons moving noisily about and conversing about the billiards. The contrast between the excitement of a moderate interest and the composure of an intense agitation, was highly impressive. I walked round the room to make my observations on men and things, and to observe the strange varieties of that landscape of infernal passions-that demon-hoofed highway of hellish contest -which is called the "human face divine."

Glorious art thou, O man! and more glorious nowhere than in the depth of thy abasement. As Satan was never more superb in attitude than when he defied the Almighty, from where in the lowest deep he lay confounded, “low, but mighty still," so from amid the thick darkness of degrading vice, thy nature rays forth its heavenliest splendours, and thy visible immortality sits nowhere more divine than behind the veil of thy vilest acts. The interest which thou canst lend to a paltry trial of chances, so that the result shall engross and satisfy the aspiration of heaven's heir, proclaims the all-boundless and exalting

nature of thy inward resources; and the springing passion, and the sweeping fury, wherewith thou followest the basest ends, sound, thunder-tongued, thy splendid spirit and thy godlike destiny!

Other conclusions equally edifying I might have drawn from the scene before me, had not my meditations been interrupted by the opening of the front-door of the building, opposite to the one by which I had entered. By the side of this door and bending round in front of it was a movable screen of green lattice-work, behind which I was standing, and which entirely concealed me from the observation of any one coming in. There appeared to be two persons at the door, and though they still lingered outside of the room, their conversation reached my ear very distinctly.

"He certainly could not have come in by this door" said one of them, " for I have been standing out here for some time."

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If he is not here now, he will be soon," replied the other, and I recognised the remarkable voice of the speaker on the bank, which it now flashed upon me was that of Tyler, as I remembered it from our conversation in the drawing-room; "if he comes, you may as well take advantage of the occasion. Si populus vult decipi, decipiatur,—if the fellow will be fleeced, let him be fleeced;" and the speaker came into the room.

To whom this obliging speech applied there could be little doubt, and I came from behind the screen to see to whom I was indebted for these charitable intentions. To my astonishment it was the man in the cloak! He had moved some distance off and was looking round the room in the course of his survey his eye fell upon me. I looked keenly at him, but he did not testify either by start or look any surprise or embarrassment. His eye fell coldly upon me for a moment and then wandered carelessly to some other object; the next instant he walked slowly into the adjoining room and closed the door behind him.

I remained for a moment irresolute as to the course

which I should pursue. I was determined at all hazards to penetrate this mystery, and to discover who was the per

son that had thus selected me for the victim of a gamingtable plot. Though all the probabilities were against it, the voice of the man gave me strong suspicions that it might be Tyler. But I could not think of any way by which I could certainly meet him. The room into which he had gone was manifestly not intended for the public, and the consequences of attempting to enter it might be unpleasant. I had, however, just made up my mind to do so, when the door opened and the cloaked personage himself came out. The whole time of his absence had probably not been half a minute. Cautiously concealed as he was, by cloak, hat, false hair, and other methods of disguise, it was quite impossible to discover his real features: I was resolved therefore to hear his voice again. As

was walking through the room with a careless air and looking on the tables, I went up and spoke to him.

"This room," said I, "is extremely warm; I should think you would find your cloak uncomfortable."

"It is rather heavy," said he with frankness, throwing it on his arm: "I have just come in, and I had drawn it about me on account of the night air."

As he removed his cloak I could see his figure, and upon looking closely I could discover his real features. It was not Tyler, but a person altogether different in face though about the same height. His voice, too, upon hearing it more attentively, was quite different in expression, though it had something of the same clearness of tone. When I coupled with this the entire calmness of his manner when he had first seen me in the room, I perceived that I had fallen into a groundless error. It was evident that I was in the company of an ordinary sharper, of whose intentions I was fortunately aware. To increase the mystery however he made no attempt to induce me to play, but proposed that we should leave the room.

"I came from the hotel," said he, "to see if Mr.-I forget the name-was here, but I find that he has just gone. Perhaps you are ready to go home, and if so, we may go in company."

Perceiving no advantage in remaining, and feeling some curiosity to see more of this person, I assented to his proposal, and we left the room together. On our way home

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