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courtesy, on his entering this den of thieves, whilst it confirmed his horrible surmises, inspired him with rage and indignation that amounted to madness. He screamed and yelled in his fury until he was exhausted, and rendered terribly sensible that his curses reached no ears but his own, and that nothing remained to him, but to sell his life as dearly as he might, for which purpose he grasped the jointed stool, drew out the mattress on which he sate or knelt, listened eagerly for the sounds that might precede his destruction, or watching for some ray of light that should prelude the approach of the murderer.

When the night was far spent, and neither sound nor light had approached him, he began to consider with more discrimination the peculiar circumstances in which he was placed. He had not mentioned the letters he carried, which were now about his person, or he should have thought that the wily Frenchman had some intention to personate him, and obtain certain moneys which they empowered him to receive. He had two brilliant rings upon his finger, and a massy gold chain round his neck, from which was suspended his mother's picture, surrounded by diamonds; but he had no reason to think that this ornament had met the eye of his persecutors, and he took some pains to conceal it further. Whilst thus employed, a dashing of water, like the light stroke of an oar, struck upon his ears he listened breathless-it was evident that it approached, and regularly receded he was therefore led to conclude that the place in which he was confined was situated on one of the canals, and it was not impossible that his voice of complaint might reach some human being, if he could raise himself nearer to the aperture in the wall.

So soon as daylight appeared he mounted the stool, which enabled him to reach the square hole in the wall; it was about a foot wide;

but, as the wall itself was more than that in thickness, he could not gain the power of seeing more than exactly what was opposite, or of putting out his arm to the exterior. In his anxiety to listen for sounds he became necessarily silent; but, as many hours passed, and the canal below was never again disturbed, his hopes died away, and he began to conceive that, instead of being robbed and murdered, as he had expected, he was doomed to the more terrible infliction of perpetual captivity, or lingering death by hunger.

The dear home he had left-the beloved mother on whose picture he gazed-the blighted promise of a life devoted to love and glorynow filled his breast with such indescribable anguish, that he was fain to fly from grief so bitter, by compelling himself calmly to review every circumstance in his conversation and conduct, which could by possibility have conduced to place him in jeopardy. He had never heard of an Inquisition in a Protestant country, but so nearly did his present state assimilate with the situation of those amenable to its tribunal in his own land, that he could not help considering himself in a place of the same kind; yet he had not the slightest recollection of having uttered a single word, which even the most ingenious malice could render subservient to such a purpose. Neither had he spoken to a single female since his landing, excepting the mistress of the inn, an old woman, and Louise, to whom his attentions had been rather the distant ones of his own country than the free admiration of hers. Besides! she was herself his gaoler-without the excuse which jealousy, or injury, might have given her.

In the calmer emotions which succeeded he sunk to sleep, and probably enjoyed a salutary and happy forgetfulness of many hours, in consequence of the exhaustion produced by his agonizing sorrow

and unavailing anger. When he awoke, all was in darkness, and it was only by slow degrees that the recollection of the past came over his mind as truth; for it appeared as if he were awaking from a fearful dream, until the hard mattress, and the damp stone wall that met his outstretched hand, convinced him of the dread reality of his miserable condition.

He wept long and bitterly-he then prayed fervently, as one who has hope only in God, and by degrees his mind became more composed, and the tenderness of an humble and trusting spirit succeeded to terror and despair. The grey light of morning penetrated his cell, and he hailed it by once more singing the matin hymn; and so fully were his feelings recalled by this holy exercise to the home of his youth, that he afterwards thought his voice, which was singularly sweet and powerful, had never rolled forth so rich a volume of melody as in that solitary dungeon.

When the beams of the sun poured a fuller light into the aperture, he sprang up, and, mounting as before, looked out to meet them. To his astonishment and awe, precisely opposite to him was a female face of such exquisite beauty and angelic character, that it was no wonder if for a moment he believed the Virgin herself had appeared to console him. Involuntarily he made the sign of the cross on his forehead, but not for an instant did he withdraw his riveted eyes from the bright vision before him, which, to his unspeakable satisfaction, repeated the same holy sign, raising a small delicate hand, and shaking from an ivory brow clustering curls of the palest flaxen. He now saw that a lovely girl, about ten years old, was the witness of his captivity, and he held up his hands in supplication; but such was his agitation that he was unable to speak, save by those expressive features, which, in such a moment, must

have touched the most insensible. heart with wonder and pity.

The vision vanished, but it had inspired hope, and after taking the last of the coarse food left to him, he began again to sing, under the full persuasion that his voice had reached the child, and caused her to look out of a place not usually within her reach. He was not mistaken the beautiful girl re-appeared, and seemed by her motions to cheer him; she indeed spoke with earnest kindness, but he could scarcely catch her words, and the language was unknown; and this time she vanished much more quickly than before, but not until she had again crossed herself, and lifted up her little hand to heaven, as if in assurance of assistance.

But how would that assistance reach him, and when would it arrive? The pains of hunger were now added to those of anxiety; it was become impossible to sing, or to sleep, and the last glimmerings of day fell upon him in the very. gloom of despair.

In the middle of the night again a faint plashing was heard, and, exerting all his remaining strength, he uttered a loud but tremulous adjuration. In a moment he became sensible that a boat had stopped at the low door; its bolts were speedily withdrawn-it opened-a dark lantern was thrust within, and in another moment two human faces. appeared, and a stream of cold but welcome air rushed into the close cell.

But were these men liberators or murderers ?-In a few minutes Raymondo was bound, gagged, and carried forth-he was placed on the bottom of a low boat, an old sail was thrown over his face, and he was rowed away he knew not whither.

At length it was plain that they had reached a ship, for he was raised, and conveyed on board, where his fetters were removed and his power of speech restored, and he

"Men are wanted for the service of our East India Company; you are destined to that duty-' tis of no use complaining."

lost not a moment in expostulating to release him until the ship should with the man who appeared to be be far out at sea. The breeze, the commander on the treatment he however, still set against them. had experienced, and demanding, About nine o'clock he was aware of in the name of his country, justice considerable commotion on deck, from the land which he had visited. and, as every change was of moment to him, he listened with the most painful and intense interest, under the idea that fresh persons had arrived on board. He conjectured rightly-his little, unknown friend had been true to her silent promise. In a few minutes he was brought on deck and resigned into the hands of a person, apparently of authority, who was accompanied by two legal officers.

The sang-froid, the utter heartlessness, with which these words were uttered, roused all the blood in Raymondo's veins, in spite of his reduced state; nevertheless, he so far controlled his rage as to appeal from the justice which did not exist to the cupidity which probably might-he offered to pay a large sum for his ransom, declared his utter incapability of ever becoming a sailor or laboring as a colonist, and finally protested that he would die rather than submit to the slavery thus infamously imposed upon him.

A single glance to his surrounding myrmidons from their chief sufficed to refasten the bonds of the captive, who was now hurried to the hold, and left in a state scarcely better than that from which he had been taken; and such were the new transports of sorrow and fury which now overwhelmed him, that he afterwards considered himself to have been for several hours in a state of phrenzy. Some time after he had ceased to rave, and believed himself to be dying, he heard one sailor remark to another, "that a breeze sprung up at midnight which would prevent their getting out at daybreak, as they had proposed;" in consequence of which, a ray of hope once more broke on his mind. He condescended to ask for water, and when food was offered he took it, and bore without further resentment the sneers and coarse raillery with which it was accompanied.

The fever of solicitude denied him that repose which he so greatly needed, especially when he found that every preparation was made for sailing, and that it was not intended

conse

A few words from this gentleman explained his late, and present, situation. He had been beguiled for the purpose of being impressed, as stated, into the service of the East India Company, at that time forming a settlement in one of the islands off the coast of Africa, to which, as being reported savage and unhealthy, the Dutch had an insuperable objection, in quence of which these illegal means had been resorted to. The sound of his voice, whilst singing the morning hymn, at the usual hour, had induced the daughter of a magistrate to climb to a place in her father's premises to listen; there she saw him, and, perceiving he was a Catholic, she informed her father, who was himself of that faith, and who promised her to inquire concerning the supposed prisoner; but this he could not do until the following day. Meanwhile poor Raymondo had been removed, and it was with great difficulty that he had effected his generous purpose.

"And now, sir," added he, "I will conduct you to my own house, and assist in discovering the wretches who entrapped you; but I must not disguise that they will probably be secreted before now, that they are supported by persons in power, and that a further residence in Rotterdam will be unsafe for you."

"Sir, I can only thank you, and entreat you to add one favor more

to those which your goodness has showered on me-put me on board any vessel in the harbor, that will take me forever from this detested country, which I shall regard to the last moment of my life as a nest of devils, with the single exception of yourself and your angelic child." The gentleman, finding from the earnestness with which this request was urged, and from the account of his late violence, how dreadfully irritable he was from temperament, and of course how much he had suffered, thought it best to comply with his wish, and, promising to forward his baggage to Paris, he put him on board a sloop bound for Boulogne, after providing him with money for his immediate wants, and accepting the gold chain as a gift for his fair deliverer. Of his rings he had been robbed, as he supposed, in the hold of the ship, during his paroxysms of rage and misery.

Arrived at Paris, it was not long before the only good citizen he had met with in the land of his desire transmitted all that he was able to recover of his baggage, but it appeared that his portmanteau had been secured by the wily Frenchman on the evening of his abduc

tion. He returned to Saragossa as speedily as he was able, for a season cured of all wish to travel; but, a few years afterwards, a disappointment in love drove him forth to seek consolation, and he accompanied the Spanish ambassador to England. În relating the circumstances here detailed, which occurred eleven years before, so acutely were his feelings awakened that I never can forget their vivid expression; and I regret that it is not possible to repeat, in his animated mixture of broken English, good French, and native Spanish, the ejaculations with which his story was garnished; but I well remember that he expressed an ardent desire to return once more to Rotterdam, to seek her whom he designated the "angel who saved" him, and not less solicitude to reproach "the demon who cajoled" him: and he concluded with saying"Ah! mon Dieu! it vas von leetel incident in the life of a man that he never can forgetting. I have been rackit by love, and torture by jalousie-but to be robbit of my sword and expecting the murder in darkO! 'pon my wor, it is execrable most of all!"

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It was the first, the only one Of those which lips forever gone Breathed in their love-which had for me Rebuke of harshness at my glee: And if those lips were here to say, "Beloved, let it pass away," Ah! then, perchance--but I have heard The last dear tone-the careless word!

Oh! ye who, meeting, sigh to part, Whose words are treasures to some heart, Deal gently, ere the dark days come, When earth hath but for one a home; Lest, musing o'er the past, like me, They feel their hearts wrung bitterly, And, heeding not what else they heard, Dwell weeping on a careless word.

MODERN IMPROVEMENTS.

THE face of society and of nature has actually been less changed through all the centuries that have elapsed since the Norman Conquest, than in this. Invention succeeds invention with such haste,

“That unbelief has scarce a space to breathe." Innovation is making gigantic strides -and things, that but to dream of, would have seemed insanity to our grandsires, are to us become the common elements of every-day existence. Already we wash by steam, print by steam, hatch eggs by steam, manufacture in every possible way by steam. Steam-boats startle the waves and rocks of the Swiss Cantons, and convey the fat dames of England to melt over the footsteps of Julie and St. Preux. Soon we are to ride by steam, drive by steam, plough by steam. Heaven preserve us! What shall we not do by steam? Such things are perfectly alarming. Changes, which one would have thought it must have taken centuries to bring about, are effected in the compass of one short life. I often ask myself whether I stand upon my head or my heels. Why, I remember Norwood a gipsy-haunted forest, and have been robbed on Finchley Common! I have made my will before going a journey, and it seems but yesterday since the solitary waggon-like coach was three weeks between London and Edinburgh! Oh, that ever I should have Jived to see the day when libraries and night-lamps for the studious are provided for our coaches, and their doors proclaimed by advertisements to be wide enough to admit a fashjonable bonnet ! I sometimes think that I must be near my latter end,

and could almost die out of sheer astonishment.

Improvement! Oh how I hate the term! After an absence of ten years, I revisited my birth-place. The house, in which I first drew this mortal breath of sighs and laughter, had passed into other hands, and with a sorrowful foreboding as well as a sorrowful remembrance, I turned from the neighboring village (little altered except in an accession of some square brick lodgements) towards the road which conducted to the mansion. Here I rubbed my eyes and asked if I was awake. The road was in very deed a road, smooth and open enough to have gladdened the heart of Macadam as much as it depressed mine. I remembered it a romantic lane, bordered by a high rock half way up which twined a path for foot-passengers, now seen through, now hidden by fantastic foliage, while frequently from amongst the boughs would peep the red cloak of the peasant girl returning from market, or the light laugh of the bounding band of children just let loose from school would come merrily upon the ear. The rocky footpath had been thrown down to make and to widen the road beneath, and there was an end of it. As I emerged from the avenue leading directly to the house, my heart beat quick, and a mist came over my eyes. I stopped for a moment at the turn beyond which the dear old mansion would, I knew, break upon the sight. During that pause, thought, with her wonted rapidity, had anticipated every possible alteration: the destruction of favorite trees; the erection of hideous summer-houses; converting of lawn into water, and of

the

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