The Litchfield County post., 1827-11-29

ted. 1 impnlcd 10 my ang the Eailiies of man,
& hagsened.'lae Wild suggestion Of the instant,
60 take severe and summary vengeance on
his invfaiitude. drew forth a pistol from
INV breast, and ordered him to take TO the
water. determined to shoot him as he was
swimming and then leave him there TO die.
Neptune hesitated in Obeying me. He was
scarcely aroused, perhaps he did not cOmpre-
heno my command. My impotence would
brook no delay. was in no humOr to be
thwarted. Standing up in the boat, | pro-
ceeded with sudden effort Of strength,t TO cast
the dog into the river. My purpose failed,-
nv balance was lOst-and-in moment Of
time--I found myself engaged in desperate
struggle for existence in the dark waters Of
the Thames. cannot swim. Death-in-
evitable death was the idea that pressed upon
nv mind and occupied all its faculties. But
poor Neptune required no solicitations. He
no sooner witnessed the danger of his master
than he sprang forward to my rescue, and
sustaining my head above the water swan
stoutly away with me to the boat.
When once re-seated there, as looked on
my preserver shaking the water from his coat
as cOmposedly as if nothing extraordinary had
happened, my conscience became penetrated
with the bitterest feelings of remOrse and
shame. Self-indulged, self-corrected, self-con-
demned sat like guilty wretch in the pres
ence of that noble animal, who, having saved
nv life, at the moment | was meditatlng his
destruction, seemed of too generous a nature
to imagine that the act he had performed ex-
ceeded the ordinary limits of his service, or
deserved any special gratitude from his mas
ter. felt as one who had intended to commit
murder on his benefactor, and asI slowly
rowed towards the laad eloquent in the praise
of the unconscious Neptune, the reccoilection
of my perilous escape--the complete convic-
ton of my having in one instance, been mis-
taken in my anger-and perhaps-mOst un-
romantic as it may sOund-the physical ope
ration of my cold bath, and my wet habili-
n1ents--all these causes united, operated so
eifectually to allay the fever of my irritated
passions, that the agitation of my mind was
soothed. Mine was now the spirit of one in
sorrow, not in anger. ,Humb!ed in my own
opinion, my own Indignation against Maria
and John Fraser, for their cold hearted, their
cruel desertion of my distresses, was exchan-
ged for mingled sentiment OF tenderness Il
forgiveness. On reaching the landing place,
new coach, and calling Neptune into it, drove
Otto my lodgings in Conduit street.
On arriving at my apartment, the first OBJ
from Maria. knew the peculiar shape of
the billet, before Twas near enough to distin
guish the handwriting. Who could divine
the nature of the intelligence that note con-
tanned? held the paper some minutes in my
hand before could obtain sufficient command
over myself to open it. That writing convey
ed to me the sentence of my future destiny.
Its purport was pregnant of the misery or
happiness of my after life. Atlength with a
sudden, desperate effort ofresolution burst
the seal and read
"Dearest Lionel, did not write yesterday
because my aunt had most Unexpectedly de-
termined to return to town to-day. We left
Brighton very early this morning, and are es-
tabIished at Thomas's Hotel. Come to us
directly; or if this wicked theft of Drayton's
which, by the by, will compel us to have a
smaller, quieter, and therefore, a happier
home, than we otherwise should have had
compes you to be very busy among law peo-
pie, and occupies all your time this morning
pray come tn dinner at seven-or if not to
dinner, you must cOntrive to be with US in !
Berkeley square some time this evening.-My |
aunt desires her best love, and believe my !
dearest Lionel your ever atectionate
MARIA"
And she was really true! This was by far
the kindest, the tenderest note had ever re- |
ceived. Maria was constant, and my wicked
suspicious only, were in fault. Oh, heavens
how much was to blame how severely did
my. folly merit punishment.
The operations of the toilet are capable of
incalculable extension or diminution. They
can, under certain circumstances, be very ra-
pidly dispatched. In FIVE minutes after read
ing Maria's note, was descending the stair
case, and prepared to obey her summons
My valet was standing with is hand on the
lock of the street door. in readiness to exped-
lite my departure, when the noise of rapidly
approaching wheels was heard. A carriage
stopped suddenly before the house-the rap
per was loudly and violently beaten with
hurried hand-the street door few open-and
John Fraser, IN his dinner dress of the last
evening, pale with watching and fatigue, and
travel and excitement, burst like an unexpec-
ted apparition before my eyes. He rushed
towards me, seized my hand, and shaking it
with the energy of an almost convusive JOY,
he exclaimed, " Well. Lionel, was in time
thought should be. The fellows drove
capitally-deuced good horses too, or we new
'er should beat Them"
"What do you mean? Beat whom 7"
1.-THE rascal DraytOn to be sure. Did not
they tell you had got scent of his
starting, and was off after him within an hour
of his departure 7"
"No, indeed, John, they never told me