The kindness and the friendship of the Major came so unexpectedly upon the heartbroken girl, that she could scarcely speak for very joy. The change from utter hopelessness to assurance of assistance had been so sudden, too, and the transition from one intense emotion to another of a precisely opposite character so unprepared, that the conflict of feeling was too much for Elcy. The tears now flooded her eyes with exceeding happiness, while her sobs were changed to an hysteric laugh, till at length it became impossible for her to repress her feelings any longer, and the “scene,” whose occurrence she had so much dreaded before strangers, ultimately came to pass. The Major, unused to such events, no sooner saw the unconscious girl fall heavily back in the chair, and heard her shriek one minute, as if with intense agony, and laugh the next, as if convulsed with the wildest mirth, than believing she had become suddenly crazed, he rang every bell he could lay hands upon, and swore at his old housekeeper in a manner, as she said, that she had never been accustomed to in all her life afore, having lived only in the first of families—and which, in the vivid language of Mrs. Coddle, made her blood run quite cold down her back, as if some one was emptying buckets and buckets of spring water over her head. At length, by the aid of cold water, and sal-volatile, and vinegar, and burnt feathers, and hartshorn, and all the other approved methods of female revivification, the young lady was restored to consciousness, and in a few minutes afterwards was able to communicate to the open-hearted Major the many troubles of herself and family. The old soldier was all excitement when he heard that the intimate acquaintance and early companion of one of his oldest friends was detained in custody, and about to be removed to the House of Correction, for the want of some one to vouch that he was not the common pickpocket he had been mistaken for; and the Major fumed and swore at his old housekeeper worse than ever when she whispered in his ear, while helping him on with his coat, that he had much better stop at home and take his tea, than trouble his head about other people’s affairs—exciting hisself in the way he was a-doing about parties he had never even so much as spoken to. She could see plain enough what it would all end in;—he’d go and overheat hisself, and catch cold on top of it: and then, if it only struck inn’ards, who would have to nuss and take care on him, she would like to know!