n. Melissa closed her eyes and
sunk senseless to the floor. She revived and got to her chamber, she
hardly knew how; locked her door, lighted another candle, and after
again searching the room, flung herself into a chair, in a state of mind
which almost deprived her of reason.

Daylight soon appeared, and the cheerful sun darting its enlivening rays
through the crevices and windows of the antique mansion, recovered her
exhausted spirits, and dissipated, in some degree, the terrors which
hovered about her mind. She endeavoured to reason coolly on the events
of the past night, but reason could not elucidate them. Not the least
noise had been heard since she last returned to her chamber: she
therefore expected to discover no traits which might tend to a
disclosure of those mysteries. She consoled herself only with a fixed
determination to leave the desolate mansion. Should John come there that
day, he might be prevailed on to permit her to remain at her aunt's
apartment in his house until her aunt should return. If he should not
come before sunset, she resolved to leave the mansion and proceed there.

She took some refreshment and went down stairs: she found the doors and
windows all fast as she had left them. She then again searched every
room in the house, both above and below, and the cellar; but she
discovered no appearance of there having been any person there. Not the
smallest article was displaced; every thing appeared as it had formerly
been.--She then went to the gate; it was locked as usual, and the
draw-bridge was up. She again traversed the circuit of the wall, but
found no alteration, or any place where it was possible the enclosure
might be entered. Again she visited the outer buildings, and even
entered the cemetery, but discovered not the least circumstance which
could conduce to explain the surprising transactions of the preceding
night. She however returned to her room in a more composed frame of
spirit, confident that she should not remain alone another night in that
gloomy, desolate, and dangerous solitude.

Towards evening Melissa took her usual walk around the enclosure. It was
that season of the year when weary summer is lapsing into the arms of
fallow autumn.--The day had been warm, and the light gales bore
revigorating coolness on their wings as they tremulously agitated the
foliage of the western forest, or fluttered among the branches of the
trees surrounding the mansion. The green splendours o