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And how impossible did it appear to touch the inmates of this house with concern on my behalf; to make them believe in the truth of my wants and woes-to induce them to vouchsafe a rest for my wanderings! As I groped out the door, and knocked at it hesitatingly, I felt that last idea to be a mere chimera.

Hannah opened.

"What do you want?" she inquired, in a voice of surprise, as she surveyed me by the light of the candle she held.

"May I speak to your mistresses?" I said.

"You had better tell me what you have to say to them. Where do you come from?"

"I am a stranger."

"What is your business here at this hour?"

"I want a night's shelter in an out-house or anywhere, and a morsel of bread to eat."

Distrust, the very feeling I dreaded, appeared in Hannah's face. "I'll give you a piece of bread," she said, after a pause; "but we can't take in a vagrant to lodge. It isn't likely."

"Do let me speak to your mistresses."

"No, not I. What can they do for you? You should not be roving about now; it looks very ill."

"But where shall I go if you drive me away? What shall I do?"

"Oh, I'll warrant you know where to go and what to do. Mind you don't do wrong, that's all. Here is a penny; now go-"

"A penny cannot feed me, and I have no strength to go farther. Don't shut the door:-oh, don't, for God's sake!"

"I must; the rain is driving in-"

"Tell the young ladies. Let me see them-"

"Indeed, I will not. You are not what you ought to be, or you wouldn't make such a noise. Move off."

"But I must die if I am turned away."

"Not you.

I'm fear'd you have some ill plans agate, that bring you about folk's houses at this time o' night.

If you've any followers-housebreakers or such like-anywhere near, you may tell them we are not by ourselves in the house; we have a gentleman, and dogs, and guns." Here the honest but inflexible servant clapped the door to and bolted it within.

This was the climax.

A pang of exquisite suffering-a throe of true despair-rent and heaved my heart.

Worn out, indeed, I was; not another step could I stir.

I sank on the wet doorstep: I groaned-I wrung my hands-I wept in utter anguish.

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