“This is some plot.’ “‘No, Frederick, believe it not. All is honourable, except—oh, Frederick, why did you not tell me the truth? Begone; if you can, be happy; but never see me more!’ “And they parted, and they never did see each other more!” CHAPTER XIV. SHE was a phantom of delight When first she gleamed upon my sight; A lovely apparition, sent To be a moment’s ornament. . . . I saw her, upon nearer view, A Spirit, yet a Woman too! Her household motions light and free, And steps of virgin-liberty. . . A perfect Woman, nobly planned, To warn, to comfort, and command; And yet a Spirit still, and bright With something of an angel-light. WORDSWORTH. “THE gloom, which had for some time been lowering darkly round our house, now burst over our heads with the fury of a thunder-storm. You must often have observed, sir, that as all the little ailments of a man’s body, which singly are insignificant enough, gradually combine together, and produce death; so the misfortunes of life, long kept at a distance, seem at last to come upon an individual or a family with one united assault, and press it with irresistible force to the very ground. So it was with us. My father, habitually silent and reserved, began to talk more, especially to strangers, and to show a greater liveliness of manner than we had ever observed in him before. He spoke about the value of his land, and the produce of his crops, in a way to make me think that I had a very comfortable prospect of inheritance before me, and I considered myself already as one of the established _statesmen_ of the valley. Alas! how puzzling is poor human nature! At the very time when my father seemed most to rejoice in his possessions, he had just come to the conviction that he could no longer retain them. He had never really felt their value till they were about to pass away from him and his race for ever! His father had been a somewhat expensive man in his habits, and had mortgaged his little estate to the father of Tom Hebblethwaite, in the hope, as times were then very good, of quickly redeeming it. But worse times soon succeeded; and my poor father and mother, with all their care and industry, were not able even to pay the interest of the sum borrowed, so that the debt gradually increased in amount, and the unavoidable issue was clearly foreseen. This disheartening news my father took a quiet opportunity of communicating to me, my poor mother standing by, and the silent tears rolling down her cheeks—not for herself, but for her children.