Helen screamed, as I have heard hares scream in their death agony, when in the jaws of the panting hound. Even now, while I write, I can hear that scream; it was fearful!

"My life at once my life at once! I cannot yield my love! Oh, woman! have pity on me, although you never loved-no, never as I do; you know me-is not that enough?'

"Idiot!" he muttered, while her hand struggled with mine to gain possession of the pen-"idiot! why did you not act before I brought her here?"

I twisted the pen from her, and crushed it; he grasped my arm, and his fingers sank like iron into my flesh; it was the second time I had felt them. What a fierce devil he was!

"I will not remain longer here," he said, "to endure this trifling. If I go, I go for vengeance."

He had taken up his hat, but I heeded him An expression had taken possession of

not.

Helen's face, so like insanity, that I was seized with a sudden terror for her; she continued silent, but her hand strayed restlessly over the table, seeking another pen, and her eyes, wild and flashing, were rendered still more bright by the deep flushing of her burning cheeks.

"Stay!" she exclaimed, at last; but her voice was shrill and hard; "stay-stop!put her away! I will make over to you this last of all I have; I will, and-trust

-trust-trust to your what in you shall I trust to? But stop! I will not speak another word; I will do exactly what you tell me. You may take my word; I have always kept it to you, to my own destruction!"

"Not just now, Miss Helen dear-glory be to God," interrupted Jerry, flinging the door back with a triumphant burst. "Here's two gentlemen wantin' you, sir; and are mighty proud to find ye." Then in a half whisper to me, he added, "Never fear, I'm all ready."

We heard a rush of footsteps on the stairs; but I should have explained that in Helen's little, low ceilinged room, was a narrow French window, that opened on a rustic balcony, and this projected over the lane. The ceilings in that quaint old house were all low, so that the first-floor rooms were nothing like as far from the ground as modern first-floor rooms usually are. Marley's energetic nature, was not a moment at fault, he sprang to the window

"Asy, asy!" exclaimed Jerry, rapidly; and I heard the pistol click as he raised his hand. The catch of the window had a knack of its own, and was difficult to unfasten. There might have been the delay of a second, not more; but long enough to let out a life. I had no power to move or scream, everythin seemed to go round in a great

Marley dashed through,

rying frame and all

The men who

way. They rushed down stairs more rapidly than they had ascended, in fierce pursuit; and I heard them tearing through the garden.

"It's a grate pity, intirely;" soliloquized Jerry, dropping his arm-"it's a grate pity, intirely I covered him to a hair, and there was plenty of time, but the notion of helping the law, took every morsel of strength out of my forefinger."

156

CHAPTER VI.

"On thee I rest my only hope at last,

And think, when thou hast dried the bitter tear,
That flows in vain o'er all my soul held dear,

I may look back on every sorrow past,

And meet life's peaceful evening with a smile."

BOWLES.

ON, on! I had placed Helen in bed, and thinking, as happily I sometimes have done, of the right thing at the right time, I drove first to Mrs. Joseph Greene; and much to the astonishment of the house-maid, who slowly undid the bolts, and let down the chain of the hall-door, I flew up the still dim staircase, and found my way at once to the room occupied by the Rylands. Mary was already up, and