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.

THE SECRET WITNESS.

and, mingling tones of benignity and sprightliness,
said,"I have come to perform a duty. I have received
from you to-day a lute, that I valued almost as my best
friend. To find another in America would not, perhaps,
be possible; but, certainly, none equally superb and
exquisite as this can be found. To show how highly I
esteem the gift, I have come in person to thank you for
it." There she stopped.
Constantia could not suddenly recover from the extreme surprise into which the unexpectedness of this
meeting had thrown her. She could scarcely sufficiently
suppress this confusion to enable her to reply to these
rapid effusions of her visitant, who resumed with augmented freedom:"I came, as I said, to thank you; but, to say the
truth, that was not all. I came likewise to see you.
IIaving done my errand, I suppose I must go. I would
fain stay longer and talk to you a little: will you give
me leave?"
Constantia, scarcely retrieving her composure, stammered out a polite assent. They seated themselves, and
the visitant, pressing the hand which she had taken,
proceeded in a strain so smooth, so flowing, sliding from
grave to gay, blending vivacity with tenderness, interpreting Constantia's silence with so keen sagacity, and
accounting for the singularities of her own deportment
in a way so respectful to her companion, and so worthy
of a steadfast and pure mind in herself, that every embarrassment and scruple were quickly banished from
their interview.
In an hour the guest took her leave. No promise of
repeating her visit, and no request that Constantia would
repay it, was made. Their parting seemed to be the
last; whatever purpose having been contemplated appeared to be accomplished by this transient meeting. It
was of a nature deeply to interest the mind of Constantia. This was the lady who talked with Roseveldt
and bargained with Melbourne, and they had been induced, by appearances, to suppose her ignorant of any
language but French; but her discourse, on the present