to raise his
offering; and, before we parted, he had doubled the amount. Well, two
days later he was gone--gone from the chief street of the city in the
hour of noon--and gone for ever. O God!" cried my father, "by what art
do they thus spirit out of life the solid body? What death do they
command that leaves no traces? that this material structure, these
strong arms, this skeleton that can resist the grave for centuries,
should be thus reft in a moment from the world of sense? A horror dwells
in that thought more awful than mere death."

"Is there no hope in Grierson?" asked my mother.

"Dismiss the thought," replied my father. "He now knows all that I can
teach, and will do naught to save me. His power, besides, is small, his
own danger not improbably more imminent than mine; for he, too, lives
apart; he leaves his wives neglected and unwatched; he is openly cited
for an unbeliever; and unless he buys security at a more awful
price--but no; I will not believe it: I have no love for him, but I will
not believe it."

"Believe what?" asked my mother; and then, with a change of note, "But
oh, what matters it?" she cried. "Abimelech, there is but one way open:
we must fly!"

"It is in vain," returned my father. "I should but involve you in my
fate. To leave this land is hopeless: we are closed in it as men are
closed in life; and there is no issue but the grave."

"We can but die then," replied my mother. "Let us at least die together.
Let not Asenath[2] and myself survive you. Think to what a fate we
should be doomed!"

My father was unable to resist her tender violence; and though I could
see he nourished not one spark of hope, he consented to desert his whole
estate, beyond some hundreds of dollars that he had by him at the
moment, and to flee that night, which promised to be dark and cloudy. As
soon as the servants were asleep, he was to load two mules with
provisions; two others were to carry my mother and myself; and, striking
through the mountains by an unfrequented trail, we were to make a fair
stroke for liberty and life. As soon as they had thus decided, I showed
myself at the window, and, owning that I had heard all, assured them
that they could rely on my prudence and devotion. I had no fear, indeed,
but to show myself unworthy of my birth; I held my life in my hand
without alarm; and when my father, weeping upon my neck, had blessed
Heaven for the courage of his child, it was with a sentiment of pride