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Oh! she was innocent; --
And to be innocent is nature's wisdom!
O surer than suspicion's hundred eyes
Is that fine sense, which to the pure in heart
By mere oppugnancy of their own goodness
Reveals the approach of evil.


-- Wordsworth.

   The closing of the folding-doors was the signal
to La Salle, that the object of the plot had been
accomplished. His manner towards Adelaide in-
stantly changed.

   "Why, brother, you have almost taken away my
breath," said she. "Is it the fashion abroad to
salute one's sister so rudely?"

   "But then consider," said he, "how long it is
since I saw you. You must recollect -- twelve
years ago -- when we parted -- no -- I forgot -- you
were at school. School changes a girl sadly -- you
don't remember me, then?"

   La Salle spoke like a man who is thinking of
something else than the topic on which he is trying
to talk. He looked in Adelaide's face, but she
could see that his attention was not fixed on her,
however his glance might be. He was listening to
what was going on in the adjoining room, and pon-
dering on the circumstances of the little drama, in
which he had become an actor.

   "Why, what are you thinking of, brother Ernest?
Does any thing disturb you?" asked Adelaide.

   "Disturb me? Oh, yes -- I -- I was thinking of an
oversight of mine, by which I shall lose a consid-
erable amount of money. But what of that, so
long as I have found a sister?"

   "Oh, leave me instantly if your interests require

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   "But I will return speedily, Adelia, and then -- "

   "Adelia! That is a pretty joke! You have
forgotten your own sister's name. Call me Adel-
aide, if you please, Sir;" and playfully putting her
arm through his, she clasped her hands, and looked
up in his face. "By the way, brother Ernest," she
continued, "how lucky it is that you have arrived
just in time to he present at my wedding. Perhaps
you do not know that I am -- to be married to-mor-
row."

   La Salle started, and regarded her with a glance
full of compassion. He was sufficiently well versed
in human nature to recognize the perfect purity
and innocence of her character. This young man
was not a libertine. Jealousy had taken full pos-
session of his soul, but it had some noble traits still,
which even the clouds of passion could not wholly
obscure.

   "And are you well assured," he asked, "of the
loyalty of him, who has promised to marry you?"

   "Ah, if you had only known him you would not
ask that question," she replied.

   "And are you quite sure he will be here to-mor-
row to fulfill his promise?"

   "Not altogether -- a steamboat may blow up, or
get detained -- a carriage may break down -- there
are hundreds of contingencies that may prevent
the punctual and literal fulfilment of his promise.
He will be here if he can be, without detriment to
the interests of others. Of that I am quite certain."

   "Poor thing! Poor thing!" thought La Salle;
"what a blast must soon fall on her young hopes!"

   There were two or three trifling incidents which
puzzled him exceedingly, although he had been fully
prepared for much that had happened, by those who

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   "Can he be such a double traitor," thought La
Salle, "as to seriously make love to another after
he has solemnly pledged his faith to this poor girl?
But did I not see his arm about Emily's waist -- her
head resting upon his bosom? Either she must be
very liberal of her blandishments, or he must be
false to Adelaide. Time alone can unravel these
perplexities. I will wait patiently its develop-
ments."

   La Salle's attachment towards Miss Gordon was
sincere and disinterested; and the moment when
he saw her in Fleetwood's arms, had been the bit-
terest of his whole life. In his jealousy there was
hardly any act so base that he would not have
stooped to it to be revenged on the man, who he be-
lieved had supplanted him in the affections of the
woman of his choice. Glenham, who was but a
tool in the hands of Mr. Gordon, had found La
Salle an equally pliable instrument in his own hands;
and, for the paltry triumph of robbing his enemy
under his very eyes of an imagined mistress, the

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   "I must leave you now," said La Salle in a tone
of kindness, taking Adelaide's hand.

   "I will not detain you, brother Ernest," said she;
"for you seem pre-occupied, and I am sure you
have left undone something, which you ought to
do."

   "Or done something, which I ought to have left
undone," said he with a melancholy smile.

   "Ah! if you think so, you must be over-scrupu-
lous," said Adelaide with charming eagerness in de-
fence. "For I am sure you would do nothing se-
riously wrong, brother Ernest. One has merely to
look in your face to be sure of that."

   "Good bye, Adelaide! I shall return soon. There
is one thing, of which I am resolved my conscience
shall not accuse me; and that is, neglect of your
interests. You shall not lack a brother's protection.
Farewell!"

   He hurried from the room. In the street he en-

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   "Well, Sir, what was the result of your chival-
ric plot?" asked the Count. "I thought I heard
Fleetwood utter a cry of pain, and then fall to the
floor. What has become of him? Where is he
now?"

   "Oh, you are quite mistaken," replied Glenham,
with ready volubility. "It was I, who uttered the
cry of pain. Fleetwood -- confound him! -- trod
upon my little toe, the one with the corn -- and I
pushed him so that he fell. We had to close the
doors to prevent our laughing being heard."

   "But was he not startled at seeing the girl rush
to my embrace?"

   "If he was, he took devilish good care to con-
ceal his emotion. `Umph!' said he -- so the girl
fancies him -- I am glad of it -- there is one expen-
sive incumbrance taken off my hands -- just in time,
too; for Emily would make a row about it, should
she find it out.' Such was the purport of what he
said."

   "The heartless villain!" exclaimed La Salle.
"He has persuaded that innocent girl that he in-
tends marrying her to-morrow."

   "I suspect he has persuaded a good many inno-
cent girls of the same thing," replied Glenham.
"But of course he will not dare to break his word
with Emily Gordon."

   "Is he then really engaged to her?"

   "Oh, undoubtedly. The marriage day is fixed."

   "Then I will call and congratulate the lady," said
La Salle, with compressed lips. "As for the gen-
tleman, I will seize the first opportunity of letting
him know that I consider him a villain of the deep-
est die."

   "And why so?"

   "The treachery he has practised towards Adel-

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   Glenham was perplexed and taken aback by the
earnestness with which the Count spoke, as well as
by the extraordinary determination expressed in
his concluding words.

   "Ahem! Fleetwood has gone -- that is, he was
to leave the city immediately for his country-seat,"
said Glenham hesitatingly. "You will not be able
to see him to-day."

   "Then it shall be to-morrow, or the next day, or
as soon as he returns," said the Count. "He shall
find that the poor girl, towards whom he has acted
so unfeelingly, is not without an avenger."

   "Do you mean to take her under your protec-
tion? That is just what Fleetwood would like,"
said Glenham, who began to tremble for the suc-
cess of some of his own ulterior plans.

   "She shall be spared the sort of protection you
allude to," replied La Salle. "But here we are in
Broadway. My rooms are at the Globe. Do you
walk up or down?"

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   "I will take leave of you here," said Glenham.
They parted. Glenham watched the Count till his
figure was lost in the crowd, and then retracing his
steps, he re-entered the house, from which he had
issued but a few minutes before, and found his way
to a room, where Mr. Gordon sat in solitary medi-
tation.

   "How is the patient?" asked Glenham.

   "Out of all danger," was the reply. "He will
be well enough to be removed to-morrow or the
next day."

   "Do you think so? Well; what I have come
back to tell you is, that there are new and unex-
pected dangers ahead. La Salle, whom we have
believed we could manage so easily, is disposed to
give us trouble. He begins to suspect that there has
been foul play, and is resolved to satisfy his mis-
givings before lending himself further to our plot.
It will be hazardous to suffer him to have another
interview with Adelaide."

   "To be sure it will. That must be guarded
against. How shall it be done?"

   "It will be equally dangerous to suffer him to
communicate with Fleetwood."

   "I can easily provide against that contingency.
Fleetwood will be obliged to keep his room for
some weeks yet, and as I intend having him trans-
ferred to my house, it will be an easy matter to keep
the Count out of the way, and at the same time, ex-
ercise a wholesome surveillance over my patient's
correspondence. And now the question is, how to
dispose of Adelaide?"