arraigned his friends-justified himselfcondemned his employers-rose against Providence ;-and then fell under the heavier weight of self-accusation. Anger, remorse, pride, resentment, fear, and hate, created a tempest in his soul, which threatened the frame it inhabited, and which was only allayed by the master-hand of despair. This demon, nourished by Lefevre's errors, had long enveloped from his eyes his fairest prospects; and, now, the last bright spot on which the star of hope shone, sank into the surrounding darkness! His mind was wrought to desperation. He made no formal resolutions; but his heart involuntarily settled in a purpose of never facing those, whom he had served so faithfully, and who, he thought, had treated him with such ingratitude!

Under the influence of this purpose, and excited by the dread of more messages, he wrote two notes to say, that he was ill, (this he could truly assert;) and to excuse himself on that account. Having done this, he fastened the door and cast himself on his bed, indifferent alike to food-to com

fort to life! Even the habit of drinking, which nothing else had wholly subdued, was deprived of its power by the universal listlessness of his soul!

As time wore away, it left him capable of some reflection; but this only gave acuteness to his sorrows. He was compelled to allow, that the blame he had hastily cast on others, was originally his own. From his worldly disappointments, he was thrown back upon his religious declensions, as the source of all evils. Conscience, from having slumbered so long, now awoke "to bite like an adder, and sting like a serpent." She busied herself in throwing up to his view every event which he had struggled to forget; and seemed determined to revenge the affront, which he had so repeatedly given, in the hour of his utmost calamity. Coward as Lefevre had always been to his conscience, he now writhed under the pangs he could no longer escape, and vainly wished that they and existence would terminate together!

Meantime, the night shut in still,

close, and sultry, foreboding the approach of storm. As the hours passed, every sign of convulsion in the elements encreased ; and, before midnight arrived, the laboring atmosphere discharged itself in the most violent manner. The hail dashed to the ground in heavy columns; the blue lightnings glazed by fits the face of the whole earth and heavens; while the thunder rolled and broke in one continuous peal,. like the varying but constant roaring of tumultuated waters!

Lefevre was not superstitious. He had often enjoyed the sublimity of a storm;: but this was no season for enjoyment. It gave power to an incensed conscience, and terror to the impressions of his guilt."The sins of his youth were set in order before him ;" and the hand of death seemed pointing to a dark, a hopeless, a fathomless eternity. He bit his lip under the poignancy of inward anguish; and trembled to find himself at the mercy of a raised imagination. He shut his eyes, lest he should see any other form than his own; -he closed his ears, lest. he should hear

some unearthly sounds;-and, enveloping himself in his bed-covering, breathed quick and hard, while perspiration started from every pore! Joyful at that hour was the cry of the passing watchman, breaking on the terrible solitude of the night; and more joyful the first dawnings of opening day, which threw a check on the disordered fancy of Lefevre.

Another day and night passed away in a similar manner, only that a continuance of the same distress, left him less able to support it. On the third day it became absolutely insupportable. Imagination, long unruly, now usurped dominion; and sometimes succeeded in giving to her chimeras the character of substance and reality!

CHAPTER XXII

DOUGLAS had not heard from Lefevre since the interview, which has been noticed. He had, however, heard of Miss D; and from the character she bore, he hoped the union might effect what nothing else had been able to accomplishhis recovery to good conduct and rational enjoyment. With this hope he looked forward with some anxiety to his domestic settlement; and occasionally wondered within himself whether it had taken place.

While his mind remained in this state, he was awakened one night from his sleep by a heavy knocking at the house door! On! hastening to his chamber window, to ascertain who was there, a well known voice, exclaimed " Douglas !"

"Charles!" said he,, "is it you