ill venture to repeat, for the further
elucidating the mystery of his mind.

'Fool to let go her arm! No; fool to take it at all! What a girl! I
never saw such--pho! How it bleeds! Will it never stop! They'll think
there's been a murder here. What could possess me to run after her? A
rustic coquette! Rustic! No; a most courtly one. She had me fairly in
her power. But she has too much sense to tell. 'Pon my word, I never
loved any one so much before. Disgusting! All over my cravat. If I were
to meet any one? If Freda were to see me, what would she think or say?
And I actually talked of marriage. Let me see; what did I say? But
nobody could believe her. Pshaw! what a fool I have been. Suppose she
had taken me at my word, and accepted me, I wonder how I could have got
out of it! There is such a power in her eyes, that as long as I am
looking at them she could make me do anything. I wish she was the
heiress, and not Miss Nugent. Yes; and I shall be too late for dinner.
What will they think? I vow, I am so giddy I can scarcely walk; and this
horrible bleeding won't stop. I must stuff this bunch of keys down my
back, and see what that will do. Well! if that isn't enough to cool any
one's courage, together with this disgusting--I must go on, and get into
my room as quickly as possible. I vow, it is just six o'clock. If she
tells Freda! But she won't do that--no woman ever does. She'll think it
over, and manage to let me see her again--and then--and then--I shall
not be able to resist her eyes, and she shall not be able to resist
mine. The witch! A mere servant to do what no woman ever has done, or
ever would do--positively refuse me. But she knows her power, I daresay.
There it is bleeding again, and I thought I had stopped it. I am just at
home though, and if I go round by the stables no one can make any
remarks. Confound this--here's the coachman in full hue and cry after
me. Yes, I will dress directly. Thomas! tell your master not to wait.
The heat has made my nose bleed, and detained me. If he and Miss Gwynne
will go on, you can drive back for me, and I shall be in time for the
ball. Beg them to make my excuses to Lady Mary Nugent, and explain how
it is. You are quite right. It has bled tremendously; but I shall stop
it as soon as I get to my room.'

It need not be said that the concluding portion of Colonel Vaughan's
speech was addressed to a servant, who came in search of him with the
intelligence that the carriage was