female habit, and light as Diana, while she sat her rearing and plunging hunter through the wild tumult of his terror. But, before I could take a second look, down stooped the night again in tenfold power of darkness, while there burst through the shaken sky such a concussion, as with its tremendous and stunning violence beat the poor animal I bestrode, and myself along with him, flat down upon the ground, among the rebounding echoes and black darkness. I escaped from the fall unhurt, and the horse stood still and trembling, till I remounted, for I now was no longer desirous of escaping my pursuer. I was hardly in the saddle again, when I heard a sweet voice at my side--"Now, Heaven have mercy on us,--this is a fearful night!--How could you leave me in this way, George?--Ah! you could not help it, poor fellow--but did I not see you thrown after the grey ran off?--Why do you not answer, George--are you hurt?" "In the name of God, Ellen Fane, what do you do here?" I exclaimed, in a voice that I could hardly think my own. She screamed aloud, for it was indeed she, and checked her horse till he almost went on his haunches; I seized him by the bridle to keep him from backing over the precipice. "Keep off--keep off," she cried. "Oh, have mercy on me if you are a man or a Christian, for I am a helpless girl, and in danger of my life!--Oh, only help me to get to Truro, and I will pray for you--indeed I will--as long as this miserable existence lasts!" I was agitated by contending emotions--innumerable--indescribable; but I made a struggle to compose myself, and implored her not to be alarmed. "And, oh, Ellen, Ellen!" I cried, "do you not yet know me?" "Henry!--Mr Jervas!" she exclaimed, and would have fallen to the ground had I not drawn our horses together, and supported her sinking frame upon my breast. There was not a sound in the air, that had so lately been torn with dreadful noises, except the low sobs of my companion, whose tears were flowing unrestrained upon my bosom, and the dreamy plashing of the river beside us, as it hastened to drown its murmurs in the moan of the sea, that came heavily at intervals on the wind like a lamentation. The wind that was now abroad was barely strong enough to lift a curl or two of the long and lovely tresses that lay clustering on my breast. All the light in the sky was insufficient to show more than the dim outline of the hills rising black around us against the paler gloom of the heavens. Everything was steeped in profound tranquillity, but the uproar that this quiet had succeeded was less confounding a thousand times, than the tumultuous feelings which agitated my heart in the midst of that solemn and oppressive calm. "Tell me, Ellen, is it possible that you can have been under the same roof with this villain Forrest?" "Alas, poor wretch!" she exclaimed, "he was burned to death--he and his cousin Hiram."