walked straight to the study-door, and knocked loudly.

"Did you call me, Montgomery ?" This was repeated twice. The General came near enough to be heard; and in a calm tone of voice answered, No, Tom; make yourself perfectly easy; I did

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not call."

Colonel Pennington's heart leaped for joy; and again for an interval his apprehensions subsided, but they returned as time went on and the conference still continued. It was in vain that he endeavoured to argue himself into a conviction that no violence could be intended General Montgomery, when immediate assistance was at hand to rescue him; the absurdity of any attempt of the kind had never once entered into his view of the affair; and though a really brave man, he had in this instance become the victim of a panic, which, to any common nerves or understanding, must have seemed perfectly chimerical.

At length, another half-hour elapsed, and neither Colonel Pennington's patience nor his fears could longer brook the uncertainty. He was too well aware of his friend's determination of character, to hope that he would acknowledge any

influence which he had thought it right, in the first instance, to oppose; and though he might have quieted his own anxiety for the moment by a repetition of his inquiry at the study-door, he preferred another expedient, which he trusted might induce General Montgomery to put an end to the interview, and at once release him from the torment of suspense. The power Lady Emily possessed over her uncle was unbounded, and Colonel Pennington bethought himself of her assistance at this juncture.

Walking hastily, therefore, to the end of the apartment, and opening the communication with the library, he called her by name: no one answered. He advanced into the room, but found no one. Again he called; and, unwilling to remove farther from the scene of his anxiety, continued repeating her name several times :-still no answer. He stepped to the bell; at that instant, imagining he heard voices in a room adjoining, he hurried forward in the direction, and his hand was already on the lock, when a report, as of a pistol, echoed through the apartments. He started at the sound, and was hastening back to the spot he had quitted: at the same moment, several

doors seemed to be opened and shut with great violence, and, full of alarm, he quickened his steps towards the study. That door was still closed.

"For God's sake, Montgomery! I beseech you, open to me !"

The door was opened, and the General, pale and evidently much agitated, came forward to meet him. He endeavoured to smile, but the attempt was fruitless, and only gave a deeper expression to the gloom which overshadowed his usually radiant countenance. The sudden change was evident to Colonel Pennington, as with breathless anxiety he exclaimed, "Are you woundedare you hurt-Montgomery? Where, where? tell me, I beseech you!"

No, Pennington, no; my good friend, I am quite safe."

"But what have you done with the Mask?— where is he?"

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Gone,” replied General Montgomery: and as he spoke he appeared to gasp for breath, and sunk exhausted into a chair.

"You are surely ill ?" said Colonel Pennington, calling at the same time for assistance. "I im

plore you, tell me what has occurred-was any violence offered, tell me?"

"No, no," answered General Montgomery faintly; "I am only fatigued, Tom-I shall soon recover. Dismiss the servants when they come; and, as you value my peace, ask no farther questions."

Colonel Pennington drew a deep sigh at a request so unlike the open confidence which marked their usual intercourse; and as he gazed on his friend, he exclaimed inwardly, ""Tis strangehow strange!—and I am much to blame to have let it come to this. Montgomery," he added, "I must transgress your positive injunction; I must learn

At this moment, the servants, alarmed at Colonel Pennington's repeated calling for assistance, entered the apartment, and were immediately followed by Lady Emily.

"Dearest uncle," she said in a voice of agitation, and shocked at his altered looks, "I hear that a mysterious stranger has been with you, and your attendants have been sadly alarmed."

"My love, it is nothing-do not you be alarmed!"

"It is but this moment that I learned the occurrence, or I had been with you long ago. Tell me, tell me, dearest uncle! what has happened; you are not well-I am certain you are not."

Dearest, nothing has happened: a person came to speak to me, whose appearance has excited the curiosity of the servants; but nothing of any consequence has occurred; you see there has not."

"Oh dear, dear uncle! what you say has never hitherto been doubted by me; but you look as if something had happened to agitate you."

"Do I, love? it is your fancy. The tempest, maybe, has bewildered me with its noise:" and General Montgomery made an effort as he spoke, to raise himself from the chair, and, turning to the servants, inquired if much damage had been done during the storm. They answered in the affirmative, that one of the gables of the house had been much injured, and a stack of chimneys near it thrown down.

"Is any one hurt?" asked the General eagerly.

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No," was the reply.

"Then that was the crash that stunned us