, stared, staggered to the door of the
room where his master was sitting, and the door being a-jar, he fell
back with great force into the room, dropping under the table between
Mr. Trevannion and Captain Levee, who was sitting with him, smoking,
as was very often their wont. This brought out Captain Levee with one
of the table-candlesticks, who, upon seeing me, ran to me, and
embracing me warmly, cried out, as the clerk made his escape--

"Here is Elrington alive and well, Sir!"

At this announcement Mr. Trevannion came out, and threw himself into
my arms, saying--

"I thank God for all his mercies, but above all, that I have not been
the cause of your death, my dear Elrington. Come in," he exclaimed, in
a faultering voice; and as soon as he gained his seat, he laid his
head down and sobbed with excitement and joy.

I followed Captain Levee into the room, and was taking a chair, when I
perceived there was another person present besides Captain Levee and
Mr. Trevannion, which was the daughter of the latter; that is, I
presumed as much, for I knew that he was a widower, and had one
daughter living, out of a family of three children. She appeared to be
about seventeen years of age, and had just come from a Protestant
convent, as they called establishments where young women were educated
at Chester. Mr. Trevannion was still with his face covered, and not
yet recovered from his burst of feeling, when this young gentlewoman
came up to me, and said--

"Captain Elrington, you have behaved nobly to my father; accept my
hand and my friendship."

I was so dazzled from coming out of the dark, and so excited from what
had just passed, that I was almost bewildered; but I accepted the
offered hand, and bowed over it, although I declare that at the time I
could not distinguish her features, although I perceived that her
person was slight and elegant. As she retreated to her seat, Mr.
Trevannion, who had recovered from his emotion, said--

"I thought that, at this moment, your head was exhibited over the
gates of Temple-bar. The idea, as Captain Levee will tell you, has
haunted me; for I felt, and should always have felt, that I was the
cause of your death. God bless you, my dear Sir, and may I have an
opportunity of showing you my gratitude and regard for your noble
conduct towards me, and the sacrifice which you would have made. You
need not tell me, for I know too well, that you took all the onus and
blame of the affair upo