-head, exclaiming, "Sblood! you old driveller! do ease you are bid, or by Heaven you shall have a bullet in your brains alzada Frightened into obedience at this threat he measured the ground, the parties took their stations, he let fall the hat, Hartfield fired the very moment it was loosed from his hand, and missed his adversary. It was the first time the

artist had ever handled a pistol: he levelled it with a trembling aim, but with fatal effect, for the ball entered the temple of the unfortunate Squire, who uttered a hoarse yell, clapped his hand to his head, and fell dead upon the turf.

Chinnery skulked from the ground without waiting to see whether his friend were beyond the reach of assistance; Basil, throwing down the fatal pistol, fled away in the utmost consternation; but a pointer which had accompanied the deceased to the ground, remained by the body, howling and moaning until it attracted the attention of some passing countrymen, who recognizing the unfortunate Squire, placed the body in a chaise cart, carried it to the Rookery, and laid it upon the table of the

butler's room. Instead of informing the guests of the event, or taking such measures as the melancholy catastrophe required, the servants, knowing that an execution would be immediately placed upon the house and its contents, hurried away in all directions to secure their own effects, and it was in the midst of this confusion that the unconscious revellers had found their way to the chamber of death in the manner we have described.

HAD the unsuspecting Helen been aware of the atrocious conspiracies against her happiness and honour, which she had thus so narrowly escaped, she would not have passed the evening after parting from the artist, in such tranquil. lity of mind. Struck as she had been by the agitation of his manner; knowing also that he was a strange and sombre being; attributing his emotion to terror at the storm, and phrase of their both being saved, to their escape

from the lightning, she thought little more of the occurrence, taking it for granted that he had run back to his uncle, to excuse her nonattendance on account of the weather. She was a good deal surprized, however, at seeing nothing of Reuben during the whole of the following day, when the banns were published for the third and last time without interruption; but concluding that some of the preliminary arrangements had required him to go over to Goldingham Place, and that he would explain the cause of his absence when he returned next morning with his uncle, the circumstance excited no apprehension in her mind. After the calm slumbers of the night, she saw the sun arise, ushering in her wedding-day with an auspicious brightness, and having attired herself in the simple and elegant array provided for the happy occasion, she awaited the arrival of Mr. Goldingham, not doubting that the bridegroom would accompany him. With his usual punctuality, the former presented himself as the clock struck the appointed hour, and immediately inquired for Reuben, of whom he de

clared that he had seen nothing, and had expected of course to meet him at the village, This statement excited the utmost astonishment, as every thing had been so distinctly arranged and understood by all parties. A servant was dispatched to the fisherman's house where he lodged, who brought back word that they had seen nothing of him since, the morning of Saturday.

T

A new amazement, not unmingled with alarm, was excited by this intelligence. There must have been some mistake his upon part, for which they were all utterly unable to account. As it was possible, however, that he might be heard of at Goldingham Place, a messenger was sent thither with all speed, and the wedding party, ell deavouring to explain Reuben's non-appearance by various conjectures, and to conceal from one another the misgivings by which they were visited, awaited the return of the servant with a deep though unexpressed anxiety. Upon the man's appearance, he declared that he could gain no tidings of him whatever, and stated in addition the news he had picked up on the road,