cultivated and refined thus prefer, to the comparatively heartless fellowship of equals, the warm, though untutored sympathy of one of those unknown, domestic, humble friends!

When the hour arrived that Mr. FitzClare usually took some refreshment, and still he was not returned, his daughter began to be seriously alarmed. She sent a servant in quest of him, who returned with the information that he was no where to be found.

More and more anxious, Geraldine now dispatched messengers in every direction.

After a period of agonizing suspense, she was obliged to conclude their search had been equally fruitless. She was opposing the arguments of Lawless, who was urging her to take some rest, when the sound of voices below interrupted the useless contest; and she soon distinguished the tones of one which at all times would have had nearly power to recall her from the arms of death. The next mo

ment, without preparation, almost without knowing how it had happened, she found herself in the beloved presence of O'Melvyl; but, for the first time, his presence failed to cheer her.

Pale, agitated, and almost overcome by his emotions, it was but too evident he had some dreadful tidings to convey."Support yourself, my adored Geraldine," he began, turning on her a look of unutterable tenderness and compassion; " for your own sake, but still more for mine, exert the powers of that unequalled understanding to bear up against the communication I have to make you."

Lord O'Melvyl then briefly stated, that he had set out on his journey for Mr. Fitz-Clare's at the time he at first proposed, and was within little more than a mile of the place of his destination, when, on passing by a wild common, he was induced to turn from his road, by the sight of two men, who had evidently been engaged in a mortal quarrel. One of them

was

was lying wounded on the ground; the other still held in his hand the weapon with which he had committed the murderous deed.

Lord O'Melvyl's people found, upon inquiry, that the suffering gentleman believed himself mortally wounded; the other, upon the approach of strangers, had precipitately fled.

O'Melvyl immediately alighted from his carriage, in which, after having bound up his wound, as well as the exigence of the moment would permit, they placed the dying man; but what were the feelings of Geraldine's lover, on discovering the unfortunate sufferer to be Fitz-Clare!

Geraldine listened thus far, in painful silence, to lord O'Melvyl, and then interrupted him, to ask, in a voice scarcely audible, if she should not soon see her father?

"The carriage is proceeding as fast as his situation will admit," lord O'Melvyl replied;" and I rode on, in the design in which

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which I have succeeded, of being the first to prepare you for this distressing event." Their conference was here interrupted by a sudden shriek-a yell, so wild and terrible, that it thrilled the ear and heart. Her eyes glaring, and almost bursting from their sockets, Katherine Lawless rushed into the room." Oh, he's dead! the master's dead!" she cried;" and it's Knowlan's hand that did it. I knew it -I knew it! They that strike with the sword shall perish by the sword!"

Rendered almost frantic by grief, horror, and latent remorse, the wretched old woman, unconscious of what she did, unmindful even of the sufferings of Geraldine, usually her first object, continued to run up and down, wringing her hands, ́and repeating, with mechanical and fearful rapidity-" I knew it! I knew it! They that smite with the sword must perish by the sword!"

O'Melvyl soon discovered the cause of this disturbance. The carriage which con

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veyed home the unfortunate Fitz-Clare had driven up to the house rather sooner than the inhabitants had calculated. therine put herself forward, and was the first person that appeared at the door.

During the short period of the drive, Fitz-Clare's wound had opened; and this faithful follower saw, by the glare of the torches that flashed in the face of the dying man, that the carriage was filled with blood. Horrorstruck, she fled into the mansion, and, from the excess of the feelings which overpowered her, was reduced to a total helplessness and inability to administer assistance.

Surgical aid was immediately procured, and Fitz-Clare, by strong restoratives, revived to the sensibility of pain; but no hopes were given of his life, and the gentlemen called in declared it their opinion, that he would probably not pass over the night.

Fitz-Clare insisted on being informed of the truth, and, on learning that his life