His joy was scarcely less than that of Monteagle, although it did not exhibit itself in so violent a manner, and his heart teemed with gratitude to the Almighty, who had brought about their restoration to each other in so miraculous a manner. It was not long before Inez was restored to animation; and, looking eagerly around her, she exclaimed:— ‘Where is he?—Was it a dream?—Oh, where is Monteagle?’ ‘He is here, my love, my long lost one!—My only hope!’ cried Monteagle, and again they were enfolded to each other’s hearts, while further utterance was denied them by the power of their emotions! We must hastily draw a veil over that scene which the imagination of our readers can depicture far better than any language of ours, however powerful, we could describe it! Those moments were a foretaste of Heaven, succeeding the torment of purgatory! Their extacy was so great, that they could scarcely believe the evidence of their senses. It was some time ere they could satisfy themselves that they spoke, they breathed, or that they were still inhabitants of this sublunary scene! But when, by the joint efforts of Joaquin and others, they became more tranquilized, the scene which followed was affecting in the extreme. They rested for a few hours, as they were not sufficiently composed to resume their journey to that home in which they had not together met for so long a period, and where they had never expected to meet again; and their friends, after a short time, left them to themselves, to enter into that mutual explanation, they were each so anxious to obtain. With what feelings of horror, disgust, and indignation, did Monteagle listen to the recital of his love, but how did his heart overflow with gratitude, when he heard of the manner in which Inez had been enabled to resist the diabolical attempts and importunities of the villain Blodget; and as he pressed her to his heart, he again poured forth his thanks to the Almighty for her preservation from such accumulated and fearful dangers. ‘The monster! the fiend!—for he cannot be anything human, although he bears the form of man,’ cried Monteagle, speaking of Blodget; ‘oh, how I regret that he has been suffered to escape my vengeance!’ ‘But he will not that of Heaven, dearest,’ ejaculated Inez; ‘oh, most assuredly that will ere long overtake him in its most terrible form, for the many, the almost unequalled crimes of which he has been guilty!’ ‘True, my love,’ returned Monteagle, and his eyes sparkled with rapture as he gazed upon that dear countenance he had never expected to behold again; ‘and oh, if ever atrocity deserved punishment, dreadful will be his doom. To concoct so infernal a plot, by which he tore you from my arms.’ Inez smiled beautifully through her tears, and throwing her fair arms around the neck of Monteagle, the kisses she so fervently pressed upon his lips, convinced him powerfully of her affection.