house he had thus suddenly rushed for refuge from the
numerous foes who were pursuing him with such vengeful ire. It was a
strange and singular incident, and one well calculated to cause the mind
to pause before it passed it by, and consider the means to an end which
are sometimes as wide of the mark, as it is in nature possible to be.

But truth is stronger than fiction by far, and the end of it was, that,
pressed on all sides by danger, bleeding, faint, and exhausted, he
rushed into the first house he came to, and thus placed himself in the
very house of those whom he had brought to such a state of misfortune.

Flora Bannerworth was seated at some embroidery, to pass away an hour or
so, and thus get over the tedium of time; she was not thinking, either,
upon the unhappy past; some trifling object or other engaged her
attention. But what was her anguish when she saw a man staggering into
the room bleeding, and bearing the marks of a bloody contest, and
sinking at her feet.

Her astonishment was far greater yet, when she recognised that man to be
Sir Francis Varney.

"Save me!--save me! Miss Bannerworth, save me!--only you can save me
from the ruthless multitude which follows, crying aloud for my blood."

As he spoke, he sank down speechless. Flora was so much amazed, not to
say terrified, that she knew not what to do. She saw Sir Francis a
suppliant at her feet, a fugitive from his enemies, who would show him
no mercy--she saw all this at a moment's glance; and yet she had not
recovered her speech and presence of mind enough to enable her to make
any reply to him.

"Save me! Miss Flora Bannerworth, save me!" he again said, raising
himself on his hands. "I am beset, hunted like a wild beast--they seek
my life--they have pursued me from one spot to another, and I have
unwittingly intruded upon you. You will save me: I am sure your kindness
and goodness of heart will never permit me to be turned out among such a
crew of blood-thirsty butchers as those who pursue me are."

"Rise, Sir Francis Varney," said Flora, after a moment's hesitation; "in
such an extremity as that which you are in, it would be inhuman indeed
to thrust you out among your enemies."

"Oh! it would," said Varney. "I had thought, until now, I could have
faced such a mob, until I was in this extremity; and then, disarmed and
thrown down, bruised, beaten, and incapable of stemming such a torrent,
I fled from one place to another, till hunted from ea