Alonzo found by this narrative that John had deceived him, when he made his enquiries of him concerning his knowledge of Melissa's removal. But this was not surprising: John was tenant to Melissa's aunt, and subservient to all her views;--she had undoubtedly given him instructions how to act. "But who was the strange gentleman with your aunt?" enquired Alonzo. "This I will also tell you, answered Melissa, tho' it unfolds a tale which reflects no great honour to my family. "Hamblin was the name which this man assumed: he said he had been an eminent merchant in New York, and had left it about the time it was taken by the British. He lodged at an inn where my aunt frequently stopped when she was out collecting her rents, where he first introduced himself to her acquaintance, and ingratiated himself into her favour by art and insidiousness. He accompanied her on her visits to her tenants, and assisted her in collecting her rents. He told her, that when the war came on, he had turned his effects into money, which he had with him, and was now in pursuit of some country place where he might purchase a residence to remain during the war. To cut the story as short as possible, he finally initiated himself so far in my aunt's favour that she accepted his hand, and, contrary to my father's opinion, she married him, and he soon after persuaded her to sell her property, under pretence of removing to some populous town, and living in style. Her property, however, was no sooner sold (which my father bought for ready cash, at a low price) than he found means to realize the money, and absconded. "It was afterwards found that his real name was Brenton; that he had left a wife and family in Virginia in indigent circumstances, where he had spent an ample fortune, left him by his father, in debauchery, and involved himself deeply in debt. He had scarcely time to get off with the booty he swindled from my aunt, when his creditors from Virginia were at his heels. He fled to the British at New York, where he rioted for a few months, was finally stabbed by a soldier in a fracas, and died the next day. He was about thirty-five years old. "All these troubles bore so heavily upon my aunt, that she went into a decline, and died about six months ago. "After Alfred returned from Connecticut, he wrote frequently to Vincent and Mr. Simpson, but could obtain no intelligence concerning you. It would be needless, Alonzo, to describe my conjectures, my anxieties, my feelings! The death of my cousin and aunt had kept me in crape until, at the instance of Alfred, I put it off yesterday morning at my uncle's house, which Alfred had proposed for the scene of action, after he had discovered the cause of my fainting at the theatre. I did not readily come into Alfred's plan to deceive you: "Suffer me, he said, to try the constancy of your _Leander_;----I doubt whether he would swim the Hellespont for you." This aroused my pride and confidence, and I permitted him to proceed."