n. "You will yet see the day when you
will thank me for my firmness. If I did not think so--if I could be
convinced that you loved me, as every woman's heart must love some one at
some period in life, I would not hesitate to comply with the wishes you all
express, and remain on my uncle's terms. As it is, I shall go."

The week expired, and at its close Charles had everything arranged to leave
home. He formally told his uncle of his determination to seek his own
fortune, as it was impossible for him to comply with his wishes; but that
he did not go in anger. For his fortune he cared but little, though it was
a great grief to be compelled to go from him bearing his ill-will.

The uncle was much affected, and a word of entreaty from the young man
would have induced him to recall the sentence of his doom; but as that
word was not spoken, he could not quite unbend enough to voluntarily ask
his nephew to remain. Charles left on the morning after the interview, for
the west, having, after due reflection, arrived at the conclusion that a
competence could be secured there as speedily as anywhere else. Fortune led
him to the Mandeville settlement, where he soon became a favorite, and
where he was in a fair way to accumulate a reasonable share of this world's
goods, when the incidents occurred and the mishaps befel him, which have
already been narrated.

With these digressive remarks, thrown in to give the reader a fuller
knowledge of the character and position of one of our most interesting
characters, as, also, that what follows may be understood, we return to
that portion of our story now supposed to be more deeply interesting to
those who have followed us thus far, in the perusal of this more than
merely romantic tale.

As we said, Hadley's time was taken up first, in waiting upon his mother,
and then upon his uncle. In the midst of these trying but cheerfully
performed duties, he found but little time to think upon his own prospects,
though not an hour passed that the image of Eveline was not called up
before his mental vision, and if left to the current of thought for a brief
period, his reflections became of the most agonizing character, and the
topics upon which he dwelt something like these:

Was she sick? or, worse for his hope, had she passed to that "bourne from
whence no traveler returns?" If alive, was she still persecuted by Duffel?
was her father still resolved to force her to wed the villain against her
will?