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Francis in a voice somewhat tremulous.

"I care

not if I ever see you again. You have misjudged me hugely if you thought I was of such a nature as to tolerate for a single moment the infamy you have been about. Your judgment and your gifts have been equally misplaced. My heart is not one of so mean a sort as to be satisfied with the affections of a jilt; nor is my disposition so base as to suffer itself to be bribed by a'

a"

Villain!" screamed Joanna, as she furiously clutched him by the throat with both her hands before the offensive word had been spoken. "Dost think I can be maddened in this vile way, and bear it tamely? If thou hadst twenty lives they would scarce be atonement enough for so atrocious an insult. Thou hast traduced me. Thou hast spoken of me the horriblest things-the falsestvilest-wickedest matters that ever misused woman hath been forced to endure. Dost think to live?— Dost hope for mercy that hath shewn none? Thou hast tortured me into a raging madness! My heart is ready to burst-and my brain reels! But thy life shall be the forfeit. Thy life, villaintt life !"

I or Francis was so seized by surprise that he seemeu t to have had time to make any struggle, or she had grasped him with such exceeding violence that he had only the power to move up his arms a little and then let them fall; and

his face grew black with an extreme suddenness, so that when she took away her hands from about his neck, his head fell back, and he was falling to the ground like one that is taken with a sudden death, when Joanna sprung forward and caught him in her arms.

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Why, I have not killed thee, sure?" exclaimed she, apparently in a wonderful consternation. Nay, it cannot be !--Indeed, I meant it not! 'Twas but the madness of the moment. Oh! what a wretch have I been if I have done thee any hurt. Francis!-dear-dear Francis !-I will forgive all the vile things thou hast said of me if thou wilt not look at me so horribly. Move but a limb-breathe-or let me feel but the beating of thy heart. No-all be as still as a stone. Oh, God! he is dead-he is dead, and I have killed him!" So saying she clasped him close to her breast with many piteous sobs, and with the saddest wildest look eye ever beheld. Again she felt for his heart; but there was no beating; she looked to his lips, but they were slightly open, and breathed not at all; and eagerly watched all his limbs as if to observe the slightest movement, but the quietness of death seemed to be upon them. The eyelids were not quite closed, and little of the eyes save the white part was to be seen, which made them appear to look very ghastly and unnatural; and the delicacy of his complexion was scarce discernable for the discolouring

of the skin, which marvellously increased his deathlike appearance.

"Alack !-what a sight is this! What a villainous thing have I done!" she continued as she kept kissing of his lips, and pressing of him to her bosom with a very heart-broken countenance. I that have loved thee better than all the world beside, and would freely have given my own life to have saved thine! I know not what could have possessed me to lay hands on thee. Oh! 'ts a most horrid wickedness! Francis!-thou who th ever been to me the gentlest, fondest, and best of creatures, and that I have loved more as a child of mine own than aught else.

Oh! speak but
Indeed, and on

a word, or my heart will break! my life, and heart, and soul, and all things that be most sacred in this world-thou hast been most shamefully deceived in what thou didst say of me. I have done no such vileness. Alack-alack!

He heeds me not!"

Then she carefully laid him down on the floor, and stood over him for the space of something more than a minute, wringing of her hands, and sobbing in such sort as none could see unmoved; when, suddenly, as if a thought had struck her, she began vigorously chafing of one of his hands with both hers, and then the other; and then she unfastened his doublet and chafed his breast in the same manner, lifting up with her other arm his head the

whilst, which she pressed closely to her; and kissing of his forehead; and sobbing wonderfully; and ever and anon saying all sorts of endearing things to him. All at once he gave a slight gasp.

At this she uttered such a scream of exultation that surely the like was never heard; and fell to a chafing of his breast with more vigorousness than ever-now laughing, now crying, now caressing of him, now pressing him fondly, in so wild and distracted a manner as was a marvel to look upon. In a little time he gave a stronger gasp; then two or three; then moved he his arms, sighing very heavily. Presently his eyelids opened more, and he looked about him with a strange unconscious stare, and kept breathing as with some sort of difficulty. The blackness went from his face, leaving it exceeding pale, and his lips got a little more colour in them.

Seeing these things, Joanna grew so agitated that she was obliged gently to put his head again upon the ground whilst she stood up a bit. Then she pressed her temples in her hands, and seemed as if she was striving to collect her scattered thoughts. In a few moments she went to a cupboard and poured out some wine into a cup, with which she presently returned to him, and setting his head against her shoulder, she poured the liquid down his throat. This appeared to produce a wonderful good effect, for in a few minutes his cheek lost

much of its extreme pallidness; his eyes looked as if with some knowledge of where he was; and he breathed not so hard as he had done but a moment since. Making a movement as if to rise, Joanna placed her arm around his waist, and assisted him up; but she spoke not a word, nor had she done so since he had given such signs of his returning life as shewed he had some consciousness of surrounding things.

In truth, she seemed in extreme perplexity as to how she should conduct herself. She knew not what to say, and scarce what to do. So monstrously ashamed was she that the violence of her passion should have led her into so great a wickedness as the attempting of his life, that she felt as if she could urge nothing in defence of it; and scarce dared look him in the face. Every moment she expected him to overwhelm her with reproaches; and the more she thought upon the matter, the more bewildered did she seem to get. At last, when she had got him to stand upright, and found he could do so without assistance, her uneasiness became so great, that she was obliged to leave him and lean upon the back of a chair for support. As for Master Francis, he was in such a state of mind, that he could not for some time, remember what had taken place. He looked about him like one amazed. He thought that something terrible had been done, but he knew

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