102 THE HISTORY OF

I then got up, and, lifting up my eyes and
hands to heaven, uttered a short prayer to God
for mercy and protection; which having fi-
nished, I ran down the hill, and, in a moment,
was at the door of the house. The door was
shut. I thought, as I pulled up the latch, that
I heard some voices within: but O! think what
was my surprise, when, on opening the door,
I saw the Captain talking with my mistress—
the Captain, who I then thought was far away
from Ludlow, and whom I never, never more
expected to see. Surely, at that moment, |
foresaw the ills that were about to befal me;
for my heart seemed, as it were, to sink within
me, and J dropped upon a chair, which stood
just beside the threshold, without having power
to speak, nay, scarcely to move.

The Captain no sooner saw me, than, break-
ing off his discourse with my mistress, for they
seemed to have been very busily engaged in
conversation, he came up to me, and, I think,
offering to take my hand, said, ““O! how hap-
py am I, my pretty Susan, in seeing you once
again. But why do you turn away your face?
are you sorry that I am returned? are you
angry that I cannot live without you?”

The tears ran down my cheeks; I made no
answer.

“What, will you not speak to me? will you
not look at me?” said the wicked gentleman:
‘and yet, after having rode many miles out of
the town, I returned to see you, my dear Susan;
for, indeed, indeed, (and he called his God to
witness the shocking words,) if you will not