Part 23 (1/2)

'Indeed, I know not whither e At one moment, I seem as if I were actually free to penetrate the bowels of the earth, dive into the deep, transport myself with a wish from planet to planet, or from sun to sun, endure all extremes, overcome them, master all resistance, and be myself omnipotent! The very next instant, perhaps, I doubt if I have really any existence! if waking and drea! and whether either of theible! At this very ! or whether I ought not to snatch up this or the other weapon of death, and instantly strike you breathless, for having dared to listen to my shame!'

While she spoke, her eyes sparkled, and flashed with that wildness which her tongue with such rapid iht have been dangerous; perhaps fatal; but fortunately the firmness and intrepidity of my mind were equal to the scene With a cool and collected benevolence of look, and with a deterh not severe tone of voice I said: 'My dear Miss Wilmot, be calm; pause a moment; recollect yourself; I am your friend, I hope you will never find another ested an opposite association to her active thoughts; in an instant the fire vanished, her eyes were suffused, her features relaxed, and she again burst into tears and sobs I was careful not to interrupt the tide of passion; it gave relief; and she presently beca particulars concerning the bishop, I gladly listened when, after a sufficient pause, she thus resumed her tale

'You must not wonder, Mr Trevor, that I do not tell my story in a connected manner Whenever I think on the subject, the incidents I have related press upon my mind, produce sensations I cannot command, and for a time obliterate less momentous circuic drama is what I have yet to relate Mr Wakefield's father, who let me here remark was an unprincipled man and died insolvent, happened professionally, as a lawyer, to have certain tee for the bishop This brought his son acquainted with the character of the prelate The relationshi+p in which I stood to him'--I interrupted her

'To whom, madam?'

'The bishop'

'I understood he was no relation of yours?'

'He is and is not'

'Pray explain'

'He is by e, twice removed; not the least by blood His late lady, a hen he married her, was the half-sister of my father's first wife; so that by the courtesy of custom he is called my uncle

He is too artful not to have a shelter for his proceedings--' She continued:

'An adept which as I have before said Mr Wakefield is, in reading the weak and vicious inclinations of the human heart, he hoped not only to have rid hi me subservient to this unholy bishop's vile propensities, to have played a deeper ga other men's follies, passions, and vices, adreatest he knows Were he but the cunningest reatest

'His character sympathized with that of the bishop, as happy to find so artful and so active an agent It was not till I had been in the prelate's fan was explained to ible expressions; disgusting from any man, but from him inexpressively offensive and odious; yet the full import of them I did not so much as suspect

'Nor did he omit to make the solemnity of his supposed character an abettor to his hypocrisy Feelings of coiveness were assuave me to understand that he was acquainted withit as a serious sin, affecting pity, he qualified away, and, as people in all such situations on; that God hated and loved such sinners; that religion was all powerful, but that man was frail; that Christ died to save us, and therefore though we should fall, as perhaps the best of us were subject to back slidings, his mercy was all sufficient

'But on this and every occasion, he was careful to say nothing open and direct, by which he should be detected If ever he ventured so far as to excite serious questions fromlike reasoning to offer, in defence of his own an with caution, but when he had accustomed me to such discourse, and after I had heard it repeated even in the presence of his clerical companions, of which you, Mr Trevor, were once a witness, ave me was diminished, and he became less and less reserved

'Still however he did not venture openly to declare hi yourhis own desires, to attend to those of the bishop But his prodigality, which is excessive, after a tiined that, with his help, my scruples would at last be conquered

'The trial was made; not by the cautious bishop, but by Mr Wakefield

How such a proposition, co from the man whom I had dearly loved, and whose wife in justice I considered myself to be, was received, you, who have a sense of the feelings of a highly injured and justly indignant heart, may conceive!

'Yet, impassioned determined and almost frantic as I was, it ith difficulty he could relinquish his plan Till that hour, I never believed him so utterly devoid of principle; but he then laid bare his heart, hoping to make me a convert to its baseness He exulted in the poe should obtain over this sensual prelate, and the suht extort He looked with transport forward, to the opening which this would afford for projects still ht thus become intimate, afforded a field ample as his own vice could wish Nor could all the ination, hich I continually interrupted hith, disgusted beyond sufferance, I abruptly left hi sensations which he had excited He then entered into a correspondence with me, till I threatened to shew his letters to the bishop This induced him to desist, and for soain, inforyou as ignorant of the world and easily deceived; tellinge between us, which he had proposed to the prelate as the best way, in his own phrase, of s smooth!

'I hope the deep shame I felt, when the bishop introduced you and made the experinanthis first purpose thus defeated, and hiing ht upon him, was determined at all events to rid himself of me I me that my loss of character was become too public for me to receive any further countenance, froations which every bishop of the church of Christon a visit to his diocese; that he could not think of taking rantly improper; and that he advised and expected I should i that I should see the enormity of my conduct, and reform

'Oh! Mr Trevor, what a world is this! Had he offered me money, I should have rejected it with disdain! but he had not even that much charity I instantly quitted the house with a few shi+llings only in my pocket