give him an invitation to pass the rest of
his days in the seclusion of a prison.

On Emma's return, he told her the information he had received, wisely
withholding the means from which his knowledge came, saying that he knew
she had that moment parted from a man who would lead her to the brink of
destruction, and then cast her off like a child's broken play-thing. He
begged, nay, he besought her, with tears in his eyes, to promise she would
never again see him. Emma was thunderstruck, not only at the accuracy of
her father's information, but at hearing such a character of one whom she
had painted as perfection's self; and, calling to her aid those
never-failing woman's arguments, a copious flood of tears, fell on her
father's neck and promised never again to see her admirer and, if possible,
to banish all thoughts of him from her mind.

"My child," said the old man, "I believe you from my heart--I believe you.
I love you, but the world says I am rich--why, I know not. You know I live
in a dangerous neighborhood, and all my care will be necessary to prevent
my losing either my child or my reputed wealth; therefore, to avoid all
accidents, I will take care you do not leave this house for the next six
months to come, and in that time your lover will have forgotten you, or
what will amount to the same thing, you will have forgotten him; but I am
much mistaken if the man's intentions are not to rob me of my money,
rather than my child."

The old man kept his word, and Emma was not allowed for several days to
leave the rooms on the fourth floor.

She tried, during the time, if it were possible to forget the object of
her affections, and thought if she could but see him once more, to bid him
a long and last farewell, she might in time wear out his remembrance from
her heart; but in order to do that, she must see him once more; and having
made up her mind that this interview would be an essential requisite to
the desired end, she took counsel with herself how it was to be
accomplished. There was only one great obstacle presenting itself to her
view, which was that "she couldn't get out."

Now women's invention never fails them, when they have set their hearts
upon any desired object; and it occurred to her, that although she could
not get out, yet it was not quite so apparent that he could not get in;
and this point being settled, it was no very difficult matter to persuade
the old woman who occasionally assisted her in th