Year: 1871

eyer, to spare you the iuevitable ruin
that must fall on you'll make you an
offer, though an illegal ons-sompouad-
ing felopy-which would, if known,
bring mo into almost as bad plac, as
yourself: Yet, because you arc my Sis
ter, will run the risk, and commit this
legal offence. I have some compassion
still left for you, base, treacberous, and
false as you have proved yourself to be.
If, then, you will quietly give up pos
session ct everything you hold now uu-
der your forged codicil, and content
yourself with the fifty pounds a;year
left you by tho true willard which,
| must say, I think very handsome
provision for you'll will let the matter
drop, and you shall never hear me al
lude to itagaiu. I will oven give you
an asylum in my house, if you could


bear to sec tie family you had SO wick
edly tried to run. If you do not &C.
cept this most generous offer on my
part (by which shall lose the fifty
pounds a-year that would be mine on
the detection of your guilt. I will at
once put the matter into the hands of
my friends, and you may defend your
self as you con. Your concealment Of
my fathers illness-telling mo only
when he w,s dead-your letters, writ
ten 10 me in imitation of his hand wri-
ting, will condemn you without . mo.
menfs hesitation, or the hope 0: ap-
peal. Beware F.! and think well before
ydu refuse your only chance of saliva
ton. If you reject my offer, be pre-.
pared to brave infamy and transporta-
ting; for you will find me iuexorable.
Take my advice as your brother and
triend-still your friend, in spite Of
your evil conduct-and give up posses
sioa quietly. You will find that am.
right. Andrew T1e7elyan."


Magdalen sat etupefed. She could
not at the FIRST ana!yze her own feelings
nor reason out her position. It was as
if she had been suddenly branded With
a hot iron, the pain of which suddenly
took away thought and power. But
the numbness Of that sudden terror soon
passed. A strong nature like hers could
not long remain PROSTATE teneath any
shock. Indeed, the 6ercer the blow the
6ereer would be the resistance. Her
brother Andrew had not calculated we'll
when he thought she would be con-
querA BY the mere force of an ACCUSE
ton. Some of tho nature of the father
had passed into her also, aud submis-
sion without struggle was as 1mpos-
sible to her as the bending of a strong
rod Of iron by child. But-whst was
she to do2 for, after all, there was much
to be considered beside her own temper.
WHAT was her position, and how should
she act for her own honor and for the
best in point of morals She knew, of
course, that the cordicil had been writ
ten by her fathers own hand that it
was his express and deliberate will.
She could not, therefore, give up her
right without transsressing that will,
which Of itself-whether for Der owo
advantage or against twas a thing
she would always hold sacred above
everything else IN the world. It was
her fathers will that she was resolu'e
to maintain, more than her own for
tune. Then another, and this time a
moro selfish, side of the question -
This fortune enabled her to marry Paul.
Without it she knew that their marr1-
age was hopeless; at least, for many
years to come. Impractical to the last
degree, visionary, poetic, generous, un:
real, his love even for her would never
make him practical and rational never
make him capable Of earning liveli-
hood by an art which he asserted lost
all its divinity SO soon as it became
veual. Had she then the right, w.iv.
ing al other principles, to destroy the
future Of her betrothed BY yielding to
the false assumption Of her brother I
Was it not, on the contrary, her duty to
take thought of him, if none of herself !;
and was she notjustifed in maintaining
FOR MIN what, for very weariness, she
might have been driven into relinquish-
in4 for herself alone? Again, a third
consideration, and not q triaing one. If
she gave up her rights without . strug-
gle, would not the whole world say it
was because she knew herself to be-
guilty, and was frightened At the
thought OF exposure! Aud how would
she feel, even though innocent, when it
was said of her that she had violated
the will, betrayed the trust, and dishon-
ored the grave Of the being she most
honored No! The girls heart swelled
and her eyes flashed. No! She would
defeud herself, cost what 1t might. 1n-
nocent, she would maintain her inno-
ceuce ; and, justified in her Inheritance,
she would preserve it against all as-
saults. Let who could deprive her of it !!


She crushed the letter in her hand
with strong and passionate gesture,
aud then sat down to write to her broth.
er. The pen VA long in her hand be-
| fore the tumult within her subsided.
| When she did write her expressions
were emphatic but calm. She distinct
ly refused to give up her rights: she
| 1o~:ol L. = 49,