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.

235

ruin will finally redound upon our heads." There he
stopped.
This strain could not be interpreted by Constantia.
She smiled, and, without noticing his incoherences, proceeded to inquire into his adventures during their separation. He listened to her, but his eyes, fixed upon hers,
and his solemnity of aspect, were immovable. When
she paused, he seated himself close to her, and, grasping
her hand with a vehemence that almost pained her,
said,"Look at me; steadfastly. Can you read my thoughts?
Can your discernment reach the bounds of my knowledge
and the bottom of my pmrposes? Catch you not a view
of the monsters that are starting into birth here?" (and
he put his left hand to his forehead.) "But you cannot.
Should I paint them to you verbally, you would call me
jester or deceiver. What pity that you have not instruments for piercing into thoughts!"
"I presume," said Constantia, affecting cheerfulness
which she did not feel, "such instruments would be useless to me. You never scruple to say what you think.
Your designs are no sooner conceived than they are expressed. All you know, all you wish, and all you purpose, are known to others as soon as to yourself. No
scruples of decorum, no foresight of consequences, are
obstacles in your way."
" True," replied he; "all obstacles are trampled under
foot but one."
"What is the insuperable one?"
"Incredulity in him that hears. I.must not say what
will not be credited. I must not relate feats and avow
schemes, when my hearer will say, 'Those feats were
never performed; these schemes are not yours.' I care
not if the truth of my tenets and the practicability of
my purposes be denied. Still, I will openly maintain
them; but when my assertions will themselves be disbelieved, when it is denied that I adopt the creed and project the plans which I affirm to be adopted and projected
by me, it is needless to affirm.
"To-morrow I mean to ascertain the height of the
lunar mountains by travelling to the top of them. Then