"Now leave me, Harriet, for a short time--I wish to be alone," said Miss Aubrey; and she was obeyed. She presently rose and bolted the door; and then, secure from interruption, walked slowly to and fro for some time; and a long and deep current of melancholy thoughts and feelings flowed through her mind and heart. She had but a short time before seen her sister's sweet children put into their little beds for the last time at Yatton; and together with their mother, had hung fondly over them, kissing and embracing them--their destined little fellow-wanderers--till her feelings compelled her to leave them. One by one, all the dear innumerable ties which had attached her to Yatton, and to everything connected with it, ever since her birth, had been severed and broken--ties, not only the strength, but very existence of which, she had scarce been aware of, till then. She had bade--as had all of them--repeated and agonizing farewells to very dear and old friends. Her heart trembled as she gazed at the objects familiar to her eye, and pregnant with innumerable little softening associations, ever since her infancy. Nothing around them now belonged to _them_--but to a stranger--to one who--she shuddered with disgust. She thought of the fearful position in which her brother was placed--entirely at the mercy of, it might be, selfish and rapacious men--what indeed was to become of all of them? At length she threw herself into the large old easy-chair which stood near the window, and with a fluttering heart and hasty tremulous hand, drew an open letter from her bosom. She held it for some moments, as if dreading again to peruse it--but at length unfolded and read a portion of it. 'Twas full of fervent and at the same time delicate expressions of fondness; and after a short while, her hand dropped, with the letter, upon her lap, and she burst into a passionate flood of tears. After an interval of several minutes, she again took up the letter--read a little farther--still more and more moved by the generous and noble sentiments it contained--and at length, utterly overcome, she again dropped her hand, and sobbed aloud long and vehemently. "It cannot--cannot--no, it _cannot_ be," she murmured; and, yielding to her feelings for a long while, her tears showered down her pallid, beautiful cheeks.