The novels of Charles Brockden Brown, consisting of Wieland;or, The transformation. Arthur Mervyn; or, Memoirs of the year 1793. Edgar Huntly; or, Memoirs of a sleep-walker. Jane Talbot. Ormond; or, The secret witness. Clara Howard; or, The enthusiasm of love. With a memoir of the author.

JANE TALBOT. 1 —
He had, however, conjured up a spirit in me which made
me deaf to his invective. I made towards the door.
" Where are you going? You shall not leave the room
till you have signed this paper."
"'Nothing but force shall keep me from my father. I
will know his true situation this instant, from his own
lips. Let me go. I will go."
I attempted to rush by him, but he shut the door'and
swore I should not leave the room till I had complied
with his request.
Perceiving me thoroughly in earnest, and indignant in
my turn at his treatment, he attempted to soothe me, by
saying that I had misunderstood him in relation to my
father; that he had uttered words at random; that he
was really out of cash at this moment; I should inexpressibly oblige him by lending him this trifling sum till
to-morrow evening.
"Brother, I'will deal candidly with you. You think
me childish, ignorant, and giddy. Perhaps I am so; but
I have sense enough to resolve, and firmness enough to
adhere to my resolution, never to give money without
thoroughly knowing and fully approving of the purposes
to which it is to be applied. You tell me you are in
extreme want of an immediate supply. Of what nature
is your necessity? What has occasioned your necessity?
I will not withhold what will really do you good,-what
I am thoroughly convinced will do you good; but I must
first be convinced."
"What would you have more than'my word? I tell
you it will save your-I tell you it will serve me essentially. It is surely needless to enter into long and intricate details, which, ten to one, you will not understand."
"As you please," said I. "I have told you that I
will not act in the dark."
"Well, then, I will explain my situation to you as
clearly as possible."
He then proceeded to state transactions of which I understood nothing. All was specious and plausible; but
I easily perceived the advantages under which he spoke,
and the gross folly of suffering my conduct to be influ