ched this amiable mourner, this fragrant flower of
beauty, glittering with the dew-drops of the morning; this sweetest, and
gentlest, loveliest ornament of human nature. He gazed upon her with
looks of love ineffable; he sat down by her; he pressed her soft hand in
his; he began to fear that all he saw was the flattering vision of a
distempered brain; he looked and sighed, and, turning up his eyes to
heaven, breathed, in broken murmurs, the chaste raptures of his soul.
The tenderness of this communication was too painful to be long endured.
Aurelia industriously interposed other subjects of discourse, that his
attention might not be dangerously overcharged, and the afternoon passed
insensibly away.

Though he had determined, in his own mind, never more to quit this idol
of his soul, they had not yet concerted any plan of conduct, when their
happiness was all at once interrupted by a repetition of cries, denoting
horror; and a servant coming in, said he believed some rogues were
murdering a traveller on the highway. The supposition of such distress
operated like gunpowder on the disposition of our adventurer, who,
without considering the situation of Aurelia, and indeed without seeing,
or being capable to think on her or any other subject for the time being,
ran directly to the stable, and, mounting the first horse which he found
saddled, issued out in the twilight, having no other weapon but his
sword.

He rode full speed to the spot whence the cries seemed to proceed; but
they sounded more remote as he advanced. Nevertheless, he followed them
to a considerable distance from the road, over fields, ditches, and
hedges; and at last came so near, that he could plainly distinguish the
voice of his own squire, Timothy Crabshaw, bellowing for mercy, with
hideous vociferation. Stimulated by this recognition, he redoubled his
career in the dark, till at length his horse plunged into a hole, the
nature of which he could not comprehend; but he found it impracticable to
disengage him. It was with some difficulty that he himself clambered
over a ruined wall, and regained the open ground. Here he groped about,
in the utmost impatience of anxiety, ignorant of the place, mad with
vexation for the fate of his unfortunate squire, and between whiles
invaded with a pang of concern for Aurelia, left among strangers,
unguarded, and alarmed.

In the midst of this emotion, he bethought himself of hallooing aloud,
that, in case he sho