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.

159

me. I would rather precede thee to the grave than live
to be thy husband.
"Thou hast done my work for me. Thou hast saved
thyself and me from a thousand evils. Thou hast acted
as seemed to thee best, and I am satisfied.
"Hast thou decided erroneously? They that know
thee need not marvel at that. Endless have been the
proofs of thy frailty. In favour of this last act something may be said., It is the last thou wilt ever commit.
Others only will experience its effects; thou hast, at
least, provided for thy own safety.
"But what is here? A letter for me? Had thy understanding been as prompt as thy fingers, I could have
borne with thee. I can easily divine the contents of
this epistle."
I-e opened it, and found the tenor to be as follows:"You did not use, my dear friend, to part with me in
this manner. You never before treated me so roughly.
I am sorry, indeed I am, that I ever offended you. Could
you suppose that I intended it? And if you knew that
I meant not offence, why did you take offence?
" I am very unhappy, for I have lost you, my friend.
You will never see me more, you say. That is very.
hard. I have deserved it, to-be-sure, but I do not know
how it has happened. Nobody more desired to please
than I have done. Morning, noon, night, it was my
only study: but you will love me no more; you will see
me no more. Forgive me, my friend, but, I must say,
it is very hard.
"You said 'rightly; I do not wish to live without my
friend. I have spent my life happily heretofore. 'Tis
true, there have been transient uneasinesses, but your
love was a reward and a cure for every thing. I desired
nothing better in this world. Did you ever hear me
murmur? No; I was not so unjust. My lot was happy,
infinitely beyond my deserving. I merited not to be
loved by you. Oh that I had suitable words to express
my gratitude for your kindness! but this last meeting,how different from that which went before? Yet even
then there was something on your brow like discontent,