"By all that's sacred I will not," replied I, kissing her hand with more
fervour than I expected from myself.

"Do me then the favour to excuse me one minute."

She left the room, and in a very short time, there returned, in the same
dress, and, in every other point the same person, but with a young and
lively face of not more, apparently, than twenty-two or twenty-three
years old. I started as if I had seen an apparation. "Yes," said she,
smiling, "you now see Aramathea Judd without disguise; and you are the
first who has seen that face for more than two years. Before I proceed
further, again I say, may I trust you--swear!"

"I do swear," replied I, and took her hand for the book, which this time
I kissed with pleasure, over and over again. Like a young jackass as I
was, I still retained her hand, throwing as much persuasion as I
possibly could in my eyes. In fact, I did enough to have softened the
hearts of three bonnet-makers. I began to feel most dreadfully in love,
and thought of marriage, and making my fortune, and I don't know what;
but all this was put an end to by one simple short sentence, delivered
in a very decided but soft voice, "Japhet, don't be silly."

I was crushed, and all my hopes crushed with me. I dropped her hand, and
sat like a fool.

"And now hear me. I am, as you must have already found out, an impostor;
that is, I am what is called a religious adventuress--a new term, I
grant, and perhaps only applicable to a very few. My aunt was
considered, by a certain sect, to be a great prophetess, which I hardly
need tell you, was all nonsense; nevertheless, there are hundreds who