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Show RICHARD liURDIR. 226 saw nothing. The forms of both Iter husband and h!s. guest were nowhere visible. Should she pursue thcm1 'I his was nt once her thought, but 5hc dismissed it as idle a mOI~cnt nftcr. Shivering with cold, and under the namclC'!'S terrors Ill her npprehcnsion, sl1c re-entered the hovel, and closed the cntranc~. "God be with me," she cried, sinking on l1cr knees bcs1de the miscrnblc pallet where she had passed so many sleepless nights i "God be with me, and with }tim! "\Y c have need of thee 0 God-both of us have need of thee. Strengthen me, 0 G.od, and save him from his enemies ! The hand of. the tempter is upon him-is upon. hi~1 ev~n n~w. I have stn ven with him, and I plead with hun m vam. fhou only, ~lcssed Father-thou only, who :ut in heaven, and art all-merCJfnl on earth-thou only canst save l1im! lie is weak and yielding where he shoul(l be strong, timid when l1e should be bold, and bold only where it is ' 'irtue to be fearful. Strengthen l1im when he is weak, and let him be weak where he would be wicked. Cut him not off in tl1y wratl1, but spare him to meto this poor child-to himself ! He is not fit to perish: protect him! Ile's--" ' hat is this-who 1 Is it you, Jane 1 Is it you, my poor child 1" . . 'l'he idiot girl had crawled to her unseen, (:urmg .her b~tef but energetic apostrophe to the Eternal, and, WJtlt a snnpenng, half-sobbing accent, testified her surprise at the unwonted vehemence and seeming unseasonableness of her mother's praye~s. "'Vith increasing energy of action, the woman clasped tbe ~1rl mound the waist, am1 dragged her down upon the floor bcs1de her. " Put up your hands, J anc!" was her exclamation ; "put up your l1ands with me ! pray-pray with ~c. Pray.to God, to deliver us from evil-your father from evtl-from h1s own, and the evil deeds of other men! Speak out, child, speak fast, and pray-1nay !" . . "Our Father wllo art in heaven !"-The clnld went on w1th the usual adjuration which had been a possession of mere mem· ory from her infancy ; while tl1c mother, with np.lifted l~ands, but silent thoughts, concluded her own heartfelt m.vocatJon to the God of bounty aml protection. She felt that she could do no more; yet much rather would she have followed her husband Morn~ SNARES. 227 into the woods, and dragged him away from the grasp of the t<'mptcr, than knelt that moment in prayer. Pickett meanwhile, little dreaming that he was watched, hurried to the place assigned for meeting John Hurdis, among the willows. rl'he emissary followed close behind him. It was no part of his plan to leave the former ignorant of his proper quality; and the first intelligence which he had of his approach was the sound of his voice, which sank into the heart of P ickett like an icc-bolt. lie shivered aml stopped when be heard it, as if by an instinct. llis will would have prompted him to fly, and leave it behinO for ever, but his feet were fastened to the earth. "What's the matter 1 why do you come after me 7" l1e asked. " I'll go along with you, brother," said the stranger coolly in reply. "As you will, but why 1 You don't tl1ink I'm running off from you, do you 1" "No!-that you can't do, brother, even if you would. We l1ave eyes all around us, that suffer no movement by any of us to be made unseen; and, if you do run, such arc our laws, that I should have to follow you. But I know your business, and wish for an introduction to your friend." "My friend!" exclaimed Pickett in profound astonishment; ''what friend 7-I know of no friend." . "Indeed ! but you must surely be mistaken; your memory IS confused, I see. The friend you're going to meet: is he not your friend 1" "I'm going to meet no friend- " "Surely you are! Brother, you wouldn't deceive me, would you 1 Didn't I hear the owl's hoot, and the clog's bark 1 I wasn't asleep, I tell you. I heard the signal as wel1 as you." 44 Owl's hoot and clog's bark 1 why, that's no signal in these parts," said Pickett, with a feeble attempt at laughter which f~iled utterly ; "you may hear owls and dogs all night, if you listen to them. "\V e arc wiser than to do that." The other replied in graver accents than usual :- "I'm afraid, brother, you are not yet convinced of the powers of the Mystic Brotherhood, or you wouldn't suppose me to have been neglectful of the duties they sent me upon. I tell you, |
