The foregoing story, tragical as it is true, incontestibly proves that "trifles light as air" assumed in the commencement, subsequently, if encouraged, increase and multiply in a _ratio_ and amount of accession and aggression, until recrimination is produced; then follow mutual hatreds, quarrels, and bickerings, until awakened and aroused at a fatal moment and at a savage period, as we have described, all these bad passions burst forth resistless into a fatal blaze, which was only to be quenched by the shedding of fraternal blood! A dramatic poet has so beautifully expressed our meaning, that we cannot resist quoting his language, and with the passage concluding this chapter:-- ----"O, be obstinately just! Indulge no passion, and betray no trust; Let not man be bold enough to say, Thus, and no farther, shall my passion stray! The first crime past, compels us on to more, And guilt proves fate, that was but choice before!" CHAPTER VIII. CONCLUSION. Oh, thou wert lovely!--lovely was thy frame, And pure thy spirit as from heaven it came! And when recalled to join the blest above, Thou diedst a victim to exceeding love! HUMAN LIFE. Our story rapidly hastens to a close, parts whereof had hitherto been purposely thrown into the back ground of our painting,--or, to _use_ another simile, adopting the policy of a wary general, who makes a feint retreat with the intent of concentrating his forces, next to return with renovated vigour and alacrity to the charge; thus sagely saving his videts from being shot, his cannon from being spiked, and his reinforcements from being killed off. In like manner too, most gentle reader, we have adopted the "_parva componere magnis_;" and accordingly, as we felt it incumbent upon us, have hitherto thrown some facts and events, since developed, and deeply connected with our story, into the back ground of our picture, with the hope that aught of circumstance or of interest that we hitherto fain would hide in the shade, and cloak under the veil or umbrage of mystery and obscurity, might chance to escape the penetration of the reviewing critic, and of thee too, reviewing reader! until we found it sage and pertinently expedient to develope the same. However we may have failed or succeeded in this attempt, we have nevertheless endeavoured, with all our means, to give a faithful and impartial portraiture of the different events as they actually occurred, and of the various characters presented in our tale, as they severally made "their exits and their entrances," and "bustled their busy hour" in "this strange and eventful history." And now, courteous reader, we gratefully take leave, and greet thee with our _ultimum vale_, for we shall never meet again!--then accept our last adieu!