foot of the bed, and Cowley received the key, which was attached to the chain of his watch. He now called me from my post, and for some time chatted with us. At length the gentlemen departed; and Juba, recovered from his grief, entered with some refreshment for his master. 'Try and get off this key,' said Cowley to him, giving him the watch. He did so without difficulty. 'There, my dear Oliver,' said my friend, giving it me, 'you will take care of it; and I have closed my accounts with this world.' We were both silent, for I could not speak. 'There is one thing,' resumed he, 'which I had like to have forgotten: you will find my wife's jewels and trinkets in that cabinet; let Rachel know I should have sent them to her long since, but that I could not bear to see them. There is a pearl necklace amongst them; her mother wore it the day she was married.' His voice sunk, and he burst into tears. 'Come, come,' said I, 'my dear fellow-sufferer, let us have no more of this; get well, and carry your daughter this necklace yourself. You will find, when placing it on her neck as a bride, that God has many comforts for you yet in store.' He shook his head.--'I trust he has,' replied he, 'but they are not in this world.' Flamall, who had left the room with the visitors, returned, and my friend changed the subject of conversation. He lived only nine days after this interview. You may judge of my surprise at the contents of the will, when called upon to produce it. Mr. Flamall acted his part to the life, but with me his villany stood confessed! I need not tell you his power over poor Miss Cowley, nor Philip's surprise that he was involved in her fate. His spirits, which had visibly declined from the time he had been with me, became totally dejected, and he passed his time here in solitude. I was certain he had the same suspicions with myself; and, although it went to my heart to vex him, I determined to open my mind to him: I did so by relating to him all I have told you; and I added, that if he preferred going to England, I would go with him and leave Flamall 'to the devil's care.'--'I have no wish to return to England,' answered he with emotion 'I wish to die here, and would this hour resign my breath willingly were it not for you!' The poor boy clung to my bosom, and wept bitterly.--'Well,' said I, 'we now understand one another. I would sooner see you dead than Miss Cowley's husband: but you may be her _friend; we also will try to be cunning_. Flamall is your uncle; so much the worse for you, and the better for him, according to the estimation of danger. We will leave him to an arm which will, in its own time, reach him to his cost. Show some alacrity in the post your uncle has assigned you, and be vigilant over _accounts_ which relate to the heiress he has gained for you. Inventories will not be marriage articles, Philip, but they may be evidences of what Miss Cowley is worth. She may like you as an honest man, though not as a suitor forced upon her.