tion his love for Helen, whom he considered its brightest and noblest paragon. Every woman became exalted in his eyes; he believed that all were equally entitled to his confidence, whatever might be their station, and in the gentle eye and prepossessing countenance of the one now before him, he thought he could trace a full confirmation of his opinion. Its natural and simple benignity was indeed shaded by an expression of deep sorrow, but believing that the afflicted are ever most disposed to sympathize with their partners in misfortune, this circumstance only corroborated his first impression, and determined him to seek the shelter of her cottage. As a means of precaution, however, he first inquired whether her husband were at home, to which she replied, while the tears started into her eyes, that she was now a poor lone woman, without either husband or son. This was an additional security to Reuben, who walked in and requested to be furnished with a breakfast or refreshments of any sort, for which he declared his ability to pay handsomely, notwithstanding the unpromising poverty of his apparel.

Such homely viands as she had were cheerfully placed before him, and when he had concluded his meal he intreated permission to lie down for a few hours, earnestly exhorting her, before he betook himself to the pallet in an inner room, to call him instantly should any passengers or vi sitants present themselves at the cottage. With these injunctions she readily promised to comply, when Reuben, having first latched the door, which was the only fastening it afforded, and placed his pistols upon a chair beside him, stretched himself upon his humble bed, and overcome with his previous vigils and exertions soon fell asleep.

If he was at length destined to be deceived in his confidence of woman's inflexible fidelity, it was only where the greater virtue supplanted the lesser; where maternal love, that paramount law of nature, extinguished for the moment all subordinate feelings of compassion, and rendered a mother capable of treachery to a stran ger, when she could thereby purchase life for her own flesh and blood. This peasant wo man's only son had joined Monmouth's army, had

been taken prisoner after the battle of Sedgemoor, and incarcerated at Lyme; and had been for some time lying in the gaol, under sentence of death. By a refinement of vengeful policy it had been promulgated, that if bring in any of the common people would a rebel of the better class, who had been proclaimed by name, they might demand the liberation of any individual of their humble rank, even although he should be under a capital conviction. This poor woman, devotedly attached to her son, and hopeless of saving his life by any other means, had procured a list of the nominated traitors, over which she had often pored till she was blinded by her tears, wishing that fate might throw in her way some such means of saving her boy, although despairing of a good fortune which presented itself to her rather as a delightful dream, Now, howthan as a probable occurrence.

a chance ever, she most unexpectedly saw of its realization. In the manner of Reuben's visit were many circumstances to awaken suspicions, which, when once aroused, were ea

gerly fostered by her maternal feelings. His command of money, his looks, his demeanour, were all equally at variance with his poor attire; while his desire of sleeping in the daytime indicated that he was a fugitive and a night wanderer. No sooner, therefore, had he retired to the little sleeping-room, than she applied her eye to a crevice in the door, and never withdrew her looks till she perceived him to be sound asleep, when she stole into the apartment breathless and on tiptoe, and, hastening to remove his pistols in the first instance, discovered the words "Reuben Apsley" engraved upon the butt. She was almost sure that she had seen the name in the printed list: she drew it from her pocket-her head, locks, and hands, all trembled together so violently, as she compared the paper with the weapons, that for some moments she was unable to read; but at length her eyes flared with a wild joy as she ascertained the identity of the names. Again she crept on tiptoe out of the apartment, fastened the door on the outside, ran with the speed of a maniac to a station at

a small distance, where there was a relief-guard of the soldiers employed in patrolling the beach, related her discovery, and returned with six armed men to the cottage. Awakened by the noise they made in entering his room, Reuben started from the bed to seize his weapons, and defend himself to extremity; but he was knocked backwards upon the pallet, and, after a short but desperate struggle against the whole party, they succeeded in forcing manacles upon his wrists, and in a few minutes more he was marching under their escort towards Lyme. Stalking a-head of them with long strides, as if she wished them to accelerate their pace, the peasant woman tossed her arms triumphantly into the air, repeatedly exclaiming in a wild and incoherent manner, 66 My Willy! my own Willy! don't forget you're to give me up my Willy! Remember, I'm to have my Willy!" After which she applied a variety of endearing epithets to her boy, and seemed to be half delirious in the prospect of recovering him from the jaws of death.

Upon their arrival at the prison, she ran