In as few words as possible he explained his apprehensions that the ledge whereon they stood would give way, in which event they would be inevitably overwhelmed as they descended; and urging her to hold his hand and look only towards the cliff, that she might not be made giddy by the sight of the precipice, he assisted her safely, though not without occasional shudders of hesitation, to the top.

Scarcely had she reached the summit when she heard a new crash, and looking eagerly round, she discovered that the narrow platform upon which she had leaped down when it had first subsided with Helen, while standing a little in advance gazing upon the wreck, and from which they had both been so recently rescued, was precipitated to the sands below in a thousand shivered and smoking fragments. Uttering a new cry of terror at the sight, she ran rapidly towards her daughter, as if still distrusting the ground on which she trod, and throwing herself upon the grass beside her, again

tenderly embraced her as if she were just re-
deemed from a second danger.

Her servant now hurried to the spot, and Reuben, with his assistance, supported Lady Trevanian and Helen to their carriage, which had been left at a small distance, when they had alighted to look at the wreck. Repeatedly

pressing his hand with a trembling emotion, her Ladyship entreated him to call at Harpsden Hall on the morrow, that he might receive from herself and Helen, when they should be recovered from their agitation, a more formal expression of their gratitude; an invitation which he accepted with rapture, and stood for a long time gazing at the departing carriage, his bosom filled with a confused but delicious ecstasy of joy and renovated hope.

They must know little of a lover's feelings who have not already anticipated that he was an early visitant on the following morning, and they must be still greater strangers to his sensations, if they imagine him to have been much dissatisfied with the intelligence, that Lady Trevanian, exhausted by the exertions

and

agitation of the previous day, had not yet arisen from her bed, but that Helen would

shortly join him in the drawing-room. He had not been many minutes in attendance before she entered; and as the paleness and languor of her late appearance were momentarily, chased away by the deep blush that suffused her features and the animation of her eyes and manner, as she expressed the fervent gratitude of herself and mother for their preservation, be thought he had never seen her look half so beautiful. She stated her conviction that they had been solely preserved by his activity and presence of mind, and that they had all reason to be thankful for their deliverance from so frightful a situation.

"As

Reuben expressed his delight at having been instrumental in preserving a life so much more dear and precious to him than his own. for mine, indeed,” he added, with a deep sigh and a dejected look, “I confess I am little solicitous about it, since the only person. whom I wished to devote it, since she for whom alone I would desire to live, has cruelly disap pointed my hopes; since I am doomed-" his voice faltered, and he paused.

to

Helen, observing that he was struggling with some inward and painful emotion, blushed still deeper, as with downcast eyes and a low agitated voice she said, "I should hate myself, Mr. Apsley, if I could unnecessarily inflict a moment's pain upon so generous and feeling a heart as your own. Perhaps I may be departing from the strict line of propriety in what I am about to say-perhaps you may consider mebut still as I cannot pretend to misunderstand your allusion, I feel that I ought not to lose a moment in declaring that the circumstances to which I adverted in our last conversation as prohibiting our union, no longer exist. There, Mr. Apsley, is my hand: I know not whether I am right in adding that you have for some time possessed my heart; and since it appears that you still retain the sentiments you were once pleased to profess, I will not conceal that I am now ready to dedicate to your happiness the life which you have preserved."

Although Reuben listened to every word and syllable of this speech with the most intense eagerness, he could hardly trust the evidence of

his senses as to its import. To be thus suddenly and unexpectedly elevated from the very abyss of despondency, almost bewildered his faculties, and his whole countenance flashed with an ungovernable transport of joy as he seized the proffered hand, pressed it to his heart, and poured forth, in a hurried and incoherent manner, the most ardent vows of eternal gratitude

and love.

At this happy interview, which was protracted to two or three fast-flitting hours, Reuben was too much entranced with delight to have a consideration for anything but the enjoyment of his present felicity—a feeling which equally absorbed his whole soul in their first meetings afterwards. But he at length bethought himself of his parents, of the manner in which he stood pledged to attempt their discovery, and then, in a hesitating manner, and with a look of deep apprehension, he declared to He len, that he felt bound in candour to make one

important communication, which he trusted

of the would not induce her to retract any generous sentiments in his favour she had con