of some confused speech, and, laying his hand on his forehead, strove to recollect himself.

Mrs. Robson soon after entered the room, and poured out her thanks to the apothecary, whom she regarded as almost a worker of miracles.

"I must bleed him, Mrs. Robson," continued he; "and for that purpose shall go home for my assistant and lancets but, in the mean while, I charge you to let every thing remain in the state I have left it. The heat alone would have given a fever to a man in health."

When the apothecary returned, he saw that his commands had been strictly obeyed; and finding that the change of atmosphere had wrought some alteration in his patient, he took his arm without any difficulty, and bled him.. At the end of the operation Thaddeus again fainted.

"Poor gentleman!" cried Mr. Vincent, binding up the wound before he tried to recover him: "look here, Tom," point

B3

pointing to the scars on his arm and breast; "see what terrible cuts have been here! This has not been playing at soldiers! Who is your lodger, Mrs. Robson ?"

"His name is Constantine, Mr. Vin

cent.

But, for heaven's sake, restore hin

out of that swoon."

Mr. Vincent poured more drops into his mouth; and a minute afterwards, he opened his eyes, divested of their feverish glare, but still dull and heavy. He spoke to Mrs. Rob on by her name; which gave her such delight, that she caught his hand to her lips, and burst into tears. The action was so instantaneous and violent, that it made him feel the stiffness of his arm; and, casting his eyes towards the men, who stood near the bed, he conjectured what had been his state, and what the consequence.

66

Come, Mrs. Robson," said the apothecary," you must not disturb the gentleman. How do you find yourself, sir?"

As

As the deed could not be recalled, Thaddeus thanked the doctor for the service he had received; and said a few kind and grateful words to his good hostess.

Mr. Vincent was glad to see so promising an issue to his proceedings, and soon after retired with his assistant and Mrs. Robson, to give further directions.

On entering the kitchen, she threw herself into a chair, and broke into a paroxysm of lamentations.

"My good woman, what is all this about?" enquired the doctor. "Is not my patient better?"

Yes," cried she, drying her eyes; "but the bed in which he lies, the whole scene, puts me so in mind of the last moments of my poor misguided son, that the very sight of it goes through my heart like a knife. Oh! had my boy been as good as that dear gentleman, had he been as well prepared to die, I think I would scarcely

B 4

scarcely have grieved! Yet heaven spare Mr. Constantine. Will he live?"

"I hope so, Mrs. Robson; his fever is inveterate; but he is young, and with extreme care, we may preserve him."

"The Lord grant it!" cried she," for he is the best gentleman I ever beheld. He has been above a week with me; and till this night, in which he lost his senses, though hardly able to breathe or see, he has read out of books which he brought with him; and good books too for it was but yesterday morning that I saw the dear soul sitting by the fire with a book on the table, which he had been studying near an hour; as I was dusting about, I saw him lay his head down on it, and put his hand to his temples. "Alas! Sir,"

said I, you tease your brains with these books of learning, when you ought to be taking rest.”---“ No, Mrs. Robson," returned he, with a sweet smile, "It is this book which affords me rest.---I have

amused

amused myself with others, and decked my mind in their gay apparel; but this alone, contains perfect beauty, perfect wisdom, and perfect peace. It is the only infallible soother of human sorrows." He closed it, and put it on the chimneypiece; and when I looked at it afterwards, I saw it was the Scriptures.---Can you wonder that I should love so excellent a gentleman ?”

"You have given a strange account of your lodger," replied Vincent: "I hope he is not a methodist; for if so, I shall despair of his cure, and think that his delirium had another cause besides fever."

"A methodist! No, Sir: he is a christian; and as good a reasonable sweet tempered gentleman, as ever came into a house. Alas! I believe he is more like a papist; though they say papists don't read the bible, but worship images."

Why, what reason have you to suppose that? He's an Englishman, is he