Heappearedtobeguidinghisdescentsoastobringhisfeetuponthecentreofthestoneblockwhichoccupiedthelowerpartofthewindow；and，havingsecuredhisfootinguponthis，hekneeleddownandbegantogazeintotheroom。Asthemoonwasgleamingintothechamber，andthebed-curtainsweredrawn，hewasabletodistinguishthebeditselfanditscontents。Heappearedsatisfiedwithhisscrutiny，forhelookedupandmadeasignwithhishand，uponwhichtheropebywhichhisdescenthadbeeneffectedwasslackenedfromabove，andheproceededtodisengageitfromhiswaist；thisaccom-
plished，heappliedhishandstothewindow-frame，whichmusthavebeeningeniouslycontrivedforthepurpose，for，withapparentlynoresistance，thewholeframe，containingcasementandall，slippedfromitspositioninthewall，andwasbyhimloweredintotheroom。
Thecoldnightwindwavedthebed-
curtains，andhepausedforamoment——allwasstillagain——andhesteppedinupontheflooroftheroom。Heheldinhishandwhatappearedtobeasteelinstrument，shapedsomethinglikeahammer，butlargerandsharperattheextremities。
Thisheheldratherbehindhim，while，withthreelong，tip-toestrides，hebroughthimselftothebedside。
Ifeltthatthediscoverymustnowbemade，andheldmybreathinmomentaryexpectationoftheexecrationinwhichhewouldventhissurpriseanddisappointment。
Iclosedmyeyes——therewasapause，butitwasashortone。Iheardtwodullblows，giveninrapidsuccession：
aquiveringsigh，andthelong-drawn，heavybreathingofthesleeperwasforeversuspended。Iunclosedmyeyes，andsawthemurdererflingthequiltacrosstheheadofhisvictim：hethen，withtheinstrumentofdeathstillinhishand，proceededtothelobby-door，uponwhichhetappedsharplytwiceorthrice。Aquickstepwasthenheardapproaching，andavoicewhisperedsomethingfromwithout。
Edwardanswered，withakindofchuckle，’Herladyshipispastcomplaining；unlockthedoor，inthedevil’sname，unlessyou’reafraidtocomein，andhelpmetoliftthebodyoutofthewindow。’
Thekeywasturnedinthelock——thedooropened——andmyuncleenteredtheroom。
IhavetoldyoualreadythatIhadplacedmyselfundertheshadeofaprojectionofthewall，closetothedoor。Ihadinstinctivelyshrunkdown，coweringtowardsthegroundontheentranceofEdwardthroughthewindow。Whenmyuncleenteredtheroomheandhissonbothstoodsoveryclosetomethathishandwaseverymomentuponthepointoftouchingmyface。Iheldmybreath，andremainedmotionlessasdeath。
’Youhadnointerruptionfromthenextroom？’saidmyuncle。
’No，’wasthebriefreply。
’Securethejewels，Ned；theFrenchharpymustnotlayherclawsuponthem。
You’reasteadyhand，byG——!notmuchblood——eh？’
’Nottwentydrops，’repliedhisson，’andthoseonthequilt。’
’I’mgladit’sover，’whisperedmyuncleagain。’Wemustliftthe——theTHING
throughthewindow，andlaytherubbishoverit。’
Theythenturnedtothebedside，and，windingthebed-clothesroundthebody，carrieditbetweenthemslowlytothewindow，and，exchangingafewbriefwordswithsomeonebelow，theyshoveditoverthewindow-sill，andIhearditfallheavilyonthegroundunderneath。
’I’lltakethejewels，’saidmyuncle；
’therearetwocasketsinthelowerdrawer。’
Heproceeded，withanaccuracywhich，hadIbeenmoreatease，wouldhavefurnishedmewithmatterofastonishment，tolayhishandupontheveryspotwheremyjewelslay；andhavingpossessedhimselfofthem，hecalledtohisson：
’Istheropemadefastabove？’
’I’mnotafool——tobesureitis，’
repliedhe。
Theythenloweredthemselvesfromthewindow。Inowroselightlyandcautiously，scarcelydaringtobreathe，frommyplaceofconcealment，andwascreepingtowardsthedoor，whenIheardmycousin’svoice，inasharpwhisper，exclaim：’Scrambleupagain!G——dd——nyou，you’veforgottolocktheroom-door!’andIperceived，bythestrainingoftheropewhichhungfromabove，thatthemandatewasinstantlyobeyed。
Notasecondwastobelost。Ipassedthroughthedoor，whichwasonlyclosed，andmovedasrapidlyasIcould，consistentlywithstillness，alongthelobby。
BeforeIhadgonemanyyards，IheardthedoorthroughwhichIhadjustpasseddouble-lockedontheinside。Iglideddownthestairsinterror，lest，ateverycorner，Ishouldmeetthemurdereroroneofhisaccomplices。
Ireachedthehall，andlistenedforamomenttoascertainwhetherallwassilentaround；nosoundwasaudible。Theparlourwindowsopenedonthepark，andthroughoneofthemImight，Ithought，easilyeffectmyescape。Accordingly，Ihastilyentered；but，tomyconsternation，acandlewasburningintheroom，andbyitslightIsawafigureseatedatthedinner-table，uponwhichlayglasses，bottles，andtheotheraccompanimentsofadrinking-party。Twoorthreechairswereplacedaboutthetableirregularly，asifhastilyabandonedbytheiroccupants。
AsingleglancesatisfiedmethatthefigurewasthatofmyFrenchattendant。
Shewasfastasleep，havingprobablydrankdeeply。Therewassomethingmalignantandghastlyinthecalmnessofthisbadwoman’sfeatures，dimlyilluminatedastheywerebytheflickeringblazeofthecandle。Aknifelayuponthetable，andtheterriblethoughtstruckme——
’ShouldIkillthissleepingaccompliceintheguiltofthemurderer，andthussecuremyretreat？’
Nothingcouldbeeasier——itwasbuttodrawthebladeacrossherthroat——theworkofasecond。Aninstant’spause，however，correctedme。’No，’thoughtI，’theGodwhohasconductedmethusfarthroughthevalleyoftheshadowofdeath，willnotabandonmenow。Iwillfallintotheirhands，orIwillescapehence，butitshallbefreefromthestainofblood。Hiswillbedone。’
Ifeltaconfidencearisingfromthisreflection，anassuranceofprotectionwhichIcannotdescribe。Therewasnoothermeansofescape，soIadvanced，withafirmstepandcollectedmind，tothewindow。Inoiselesslywithdrewthebarsandunclosedtheshutters——Ipushedopenthecasement，and，withoutwaitingtolookbehindme，Iranwithmyutmostspeed，scarcelyfeelingthegroundunderme，downtheavenue，takingcaretokeepuponthegrasswhichborderedit。
Ididnotforamomentslackmyspeed，andIhadnowgainedthecentrepointbetweenthepark-gateandthemansion-
house。Heretheavenuemadeawidercircuit，andinordertoavoiddelay，I
directedmywayacrossthesmoothswardroundwhichthepathwaywound，intending，attheoppositesideoftheflat，atapointwhichIdistinguishedbyagroupofoldbirch-trees，toenteragainuponthebeatentrack，whichwasfromthencetolerablydirecttothegate。
Ihad，withmyutmostspeed，gotabouthalfwayacrossthisbroadflat，whentherapidtreadingofahorse’shoofsstruckuponmyear。MyheartswelledinmybosomasthoughIwouldsmother。Theclatteringofgallopinghoofsapproached——
Iwaspursued——theywerenowupontheswardonwhichIwasrunning——therewasnotabushorabrambletoshelterme——
and，asiftorenderescapealtogetherdesperate，themoon，whichhadhithertobeenobscured，atthismomentshoneforthwithabroadclearlight，whichmadeeveryobjectdistinctlyvisible。
Thesoundswerenowclosebehindme。
Ifeltmykneesbendingunderme，withthesensationwhichtormentsoneindreams。Ireeled——Istumbled——Ifell——
andatthesameinstantthecauseofmyalarmwheeledpastmeatfullgallop。Itwasoneoftheyoungfillieswhichpasturedlooseaboutthepark，whosefrolicshadthusallbutmaddenedmewithterror。Iscrambledtomyfeet，andrushedonwithweakbutrapidsteps，mysportivecompanionstillgallopingroundandroundmewithmanyafriskandfling，until，atlength，moredeadthanalive，I
reachedtheavenue-gateandcrossedthestile，Iscarceknewhow。
Iranthroughthevillage，inwhichallwassilentasthegrave，untilmyprogresswasarrestedbythehoarsevoiceofasentinel，whocried：’Whogoesthere？’IfeltthatIwasnowsafe。Iturnedinthedirectionofthevoice，andfellfaintingatthesoldier’sfeet。WhenIcametomyself；I
wassittinginamiserablehovel，surroundedbystrangefaces，allbespeakingcuriosityandcompassion。
Manysoldierswereinitalso：indeed，asIafterwardsfound，itwasemployedasaguard-roombyadetachmentoftroopsquarteredforthatnightinthetown。InafewwordsIinformedtheirofficerofthecircumstanceswhichhadoccurred，describingalsotheappearanceofthepersonsengagedinthemurder；andhe，withoutlossoftime，proceededtothemansion-
houseofCarrickleigh，takingwithhimapartyofhismen。Butthevillainshaddiscoveredtheirmistake，andhadeffectedtheirescapebeforethearrivalofthemilitary。
TheFrenchwomanwas，however，arrestedintheneighbourhooduponthenextday。Shewastriedandcondemnedupontheensuingassizes；andprevioustoherexecution，confessedthat’SHEHADA
HANDINMAKINGHUGHTISDAL’SBED。’Shehadbeenahousekeeperinthecastleatthetime，andakindofchereamieofmyuncle’s。Shewas，inreality，abletospeakEnglishlikeanative，buthadexclusivelyusedtheFrenchlanguage，Isupposetofacilitateherdisguise。Shediedthesamehardenedwretchwhichshehadlived，confessinghercrimesonly，asshealleged，thatherdoingsomightinvolveSirArthurT——n，thegreatauthorofherguiltandmisery，andwhomshenowregardedwithunmitigateddetestation。
WiththeparticularsofSirArthur’sandhisson’sescape，asfarastheyareknown，youareacquainted。Youarealsoinpossessionoftheirafterfate——theterrible，thetremendousretributionwhich，afterlongdelaysofmanyyears，finallyovertookandcrushedthem。WonderfulandinscrutablearethedealingsofGodwithHiscreatures。
Deepandferventasmustalwaysbemygratitudetoheavenformydeliverance，effectedbyachainofprovidentialoccurrences，thefailingofasinglelinkofwhichmusthaveensuredmydestruction，IwaslongbeforeIcouldlookbackuponitwithotherfeelingsthanthoseofbitterness，almostofagony。
Theonlybeingthathadeverreallylovedme，mynearestanddearestfriend，everreadytosympathise，tocounsel，andtoassist——thegayest，thegentlest，thewarmestheart——theonlycreatureonearththatcaredforme——HERlifehadbeenthepriceofmydeliverance；andIthenutteredthewish，whichnoeventofmylongandsorrowfullifehastaughtmetorecall，thatshehadbeenspared，andthat，inherstead，_I_weremoulderinginthegrave，forgottenandatrest。
THEBRIDALOFCARRIGVARAH。
BeingaSixthExtractfromtheLegacyofthelateFrancisPurcell，P。P。ofDrumcoolagh。
InasequestereddistrictofthecountyofLimerick，therestoodmyearlylife，somefortyyearsago，oneofthosestrongstonebuildings，halfcastle，halffarm-house，whicharenotunfrequentintheSouthofIreland，andwhosesolidmasonryandmassiveconstructionseemtoproveatoncetheinsecurityandthecautionoftheCromwellitesettlerswhoerectedthem。
AtthetimeofwhichIspeak，thisbuildingwastenantedbyanelderlyman，whosestarchandpuritanicmienandmannersmighthavebecomethemorosepreachingparliamentariancaptain，whohadraisedthehouseandruledthehouseholdmorethanahundredyearsbefore；butthisman，thoughProtestantbydescentasbyname，wasnotsoinreligion；hewasastrict，andinoutwardobservances，anexemplaryCatholic；hisfatherhadreturnedinearlyyouthtothetruefaith，anddiedinthebosomofthechurch。
MartinHeathcotewas，atthetimeofwhichIspeak，awidower，buthishouse-
keepingwasnotonthataccountaltogethersolitary，forhehadadaughter，whoseagewasnowsufficientlyadvancedtowarrantherfatherinimposinguponherthegravedutiesofdomesticsuperintendence。
Thislittleestablishmentwasperfectlyisolated，andverylittleintrudeduponbyactsofneighbourhood；fortherankofitsoccupantswasofthatequivocalkindwhichprecludesallfamiliarassociationwiththoseofadecidedlyinferiorrank，whileitisnotsufficienttoentitleitspossessorstothesocietyofestablishedgentility，amongwhomthenearestresidentsweretheO’MarasofCarrigvarah，whosemansion-house，constructedoutoftheruinsofanoldabbey，whosetowersandcloistershadbeenlevelledbytheshotofCromwell’sartillery，stoodnothalfamilelowerupontheriverbanks。
ColonelO’Mara，thepossessoroftheestates，wastheninadecliningstateofhealth，andabsentwithhisladyfromthecountry，leavingatthecastle，hissonyoungO’Mara，andakindofhumblecompanion，namedEdwardDwyer，who，ifreportbeliedhimnot，haddoneinhisearlydayssomePECULIARSERVICESfortheColonel，whohadbeenagayman——
perhapsworse——butenoughofrecapitulation。