You come to us now to share a misery which nothing can alleviate; yet your presence will, I hope, revive our father, who seems sinking under his misfortune; and your persuasions will induce poor Elizabeth to cease her vain and tormenting self-accusations .-- Poor William! he was our darling and our pride!" Tears, unrestrained, fell from my brother's eyes; a sense of mortal agony crept over my frame.

Before, I had only imagined the wretchedness of my desolated home; the reality came on me as a new, and a not less terrible, disaster.

I tried to calm Ernest; I enquired more minutely concerning my father, and here I named my cousin.
"She most of all," said Ernest, "requires consolation; she accused herself of having caused the death of my brother, and that made her very wretched.

But since the murderer has been discovered--" "The murderer discovered! Good God! how can that be?
who could attempt to pursue him?
It is impossible; one might as well try to overtake the winds, or confine a mountain-stream with a straw.

I saw him too; he was free last night!" "I do not know what you mean," replied my brother, in accents of wonder, "but to us the discovery we have made completes our misery.