Guy Mannering.

14 WAVERLEY NOVELS.
As the fated and influential hour rolled on, the terrors
of the hateful Presence grew more confounding to the
mortal senses of the victim, and the knot of the accursed
sophistry became more inextricable in appearance, at
least to the prey whom its meshes surrounded. He had
not power to explain the assurance of pardon which he
continued to assert, or to name the victorious name in
which he trusted. But his faith did not abandon him,
though he lacked for a time the power of expressing it.
"6 Say what you will," was his answer to the Tempter" I know there is as much betwixt the two boards of this
Book as can insure me forgiveness for my transgressions,
and safety for my soul." As he spoke, the clock, which
announced the lapse of the fatal hour, was heard to strike.
The speech and intellectual powers of the youth were
instantly and fully restored; he burst forth into prayer,
and expressed, in the most glowing terms, his reliance on
the truth, and on the Author of the gospel. The demon
retired, yelling and discomfited, and the old man, entering
the apartment, with tears congratulated his guest on his
victory in the fated struggle.
The young man was afterwards married to the beautiful maiden, the first sight of whom had made such an impression on him, and they were consigned over at the
close of the story to domestic happiness.-So ended John
MacKinlay's legend.
The author of Waverley had imagined a possibility of
framing an interesting, and perhaps not an unedifying
tale, out of the incidents of the life of a doomed individual, whose efforts at good and virtuous conduct were to
be forever disappointed by the intervention, as it were,
of some malevolent being, and who was at last to come
off victorious from the fearful struggle. In short, some