consideration of his own safety, never to appear in it to any living
soul. If Miss did not believe him, when he made this proposal out of
pure good-nature, and would not trust him a single inch, she might even
see to the consequences herself. He was resolved to condescend no
further to the whims of a person who, in her treatment of him, had
shown herself as proud as Lucifer himself.

Emily exerted herself to appease his resentment; but all the eloquence
of her new confederate could not prevail upon her instantly to give up
her objection. She desired till the next day to consider of it. The day
after was fixed by Mr. Tyrrel for the marriage ceremony. In the mean
time she was pestered with intimations, in a thousand forms, of the fate
that so nearly awaited her. The preparations were so continued,
methodical, and regular, as to produce in her the most painful and
aching anxiety. If her heart attained a moment's intermission upon the
subject, her female attendant was sure, by some sly hint or sarcastical
remark, to put a speedy termination to her tranquillity. She felt
herself, as she afterwards remarked, alone, uninstructed, just broken
loose, as it were, from the trammels of infancy, without one single
creature to concern himself in her fate. She, who till then never knew
an enemy, had now, for three weeks, not seen the glimpse of a human
countenance, that she had not good reason to consider as wholly
estranged to her at least, if not unrelentingly bent on her destruction.
She now, for the first time, experienced the anguish of never having
known her parents, and being cast upon the charity of people with whom
she had too little equality, to hope to receive from them the offices of
friendship.

The succeeding night was filled with the most anxious thoughts. When a
momentary oblivion stole upon her senses, her distempered imagination