Produced by Robert Cicconetti, Paula Franzini and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) MABEL. A Novel, BY EMMA WARBURTON. _IN THREE VOLUMES._ VOL. III. LONDON: THOMAS CAUTLEY NEWBY, PUBLISHER, 30, WELBECK STREET, CAVENDISH SQUARE. 1854. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I 1 CHAPTER II 21 CHAPTER III 46 CHAPTER IV 88 CHAPTER V 102 CHAPTER VI 123 CHAPTER VII 154 CHAPTER VIII 172 CHAPTER IX 193 CHAPTER X 220 CHAPTER XI 247 CHAPTER XII 257 MABEL CHAPTER I. To your household Gods Return! for by their altars Virtue dwells, And Happiness with her. There was something so pleasant in the feeling of the cheerful fire, that Mabel, who, for many days, had been up early and late, could not resist its influence; her thoughts began to wander from the book which she had again taken up; her heavy eyelids closed, and she fell asleep. Again she was, where memory often carried her, in their happy cottage at Aston; she was again kneeling by her sister's side, holding her little hand in hers, and watching her tranquil sleep. Again the rumbling sound of many feet, and many voices, stole upon her ear, the air was thick with smoke--a smell of burning, and then, again, that fearful, hoarse, deafening cry of "fire." She again awoke, startled at the sound, and, before she could analyse her remembrance, or distinguish the past from the present, she perceived that she was in flames. Her dress had fallen too near the fire, and had become ignited. Lucy was at the door, screaming fire, and calling wildly on the names of all in the house, for assistance. Caroline rushed to her, but retreated with a scream, just as Hargrave, who had been attracted by the sound of his name, came towards them. Quickly passing her, as she remained screaming with terror, he was by Mabel's side in an instant, and wrapping his powerful arms around her, he laid her on the floor as if she had been a child; then, folding the rug over her, he very soon succeeded in extinguishing the flames. Caroline, reassured, now entered the room, and Lucy pattered back again, with her naked feet, into bed, and drew the curtains closely round her.