ir light and terror, that they were growing tame and dull; the charm
was dissolving, the numbness was passing away, he could move once more.
He heard a light breathing close to his ear, and, half turning, saw the
face of Elsie Venner, looking motionless into the reptile's eyes, which
had shrunk and faded under the stronger enchantment of her own.

CHAPTER XIV.

FAMILY SECRETS.

It was commonly understood in the town of Rockland that Dudley Venner had
had a great deal of trouble with that daughter of his, so handsome, yet
so peculiar, about whom there were so many strange stories. There was no
end to the tales which were told of her extraordinary doings. Yet her
name was never coupled with that of any youth or man, until this cousin
had provoked remark by his visit; and even then it was oftener in the
shape of wondering conjectures whether he would dare to make love to her,
than in any pretended knowledge of their relations to each other, that
the public tongue exercised its village-prerogative of tattle.

The more common version of the trouble at the mansion-house was this:
Elsie was not exactly in her right mind. Her temper was singular, her
tastes were anomalous, her habits were lawless, her antipathies were many
and intense, and she was liable to explosions of ungovernable anger.
Some said that was not the worst of it. At nearly fifteen years old,
when she was growing fast, and in an irritable state of mind and body,
she had had a governess placed over her for whom she had conceived an
aversion. It was whispered among a few who knew more of the family
secrets than others, that, worried and exasperated by the presence and
jealous oversight of this person, Elsie had attempted to get finally rid
of her by unlawful means, such as young girls have been known to employ
in their straits, and to which the sex at all ages has a certain
instinctive tendency, in preference to more palpable instruments for the
righting of its wrongs. At any rate, this governess had been taken
suddenly ill, and the Doctor had been sent for at midnight. Old Sophy
had taken her master into a room apart, and said a few words to him which
turned him as white as a sheet. As soon as he recovered himself, he sent
Sophy out, called in the old Doctor, and gave him some few hints, on
which he acted at once, and had the satisfaction of seeing his patient
out of danger before he left in the morning. It is proper to say, that,
during the fol