to know who lived there. When she undertook to ferret out
anything, she bent her whole energies to it. As Michael Angelo, who
subjected all things to his pursuit and the idea he had formed of it,
painted the crucifixion by the side of a writhing slave and would have
broken up the true cross for pencils, so Mrs. Miller would have entered
the sepulchre, if she could have done it, in search of an object she
wished to find.

The full moon had risen, and was pouring its beams upon surrounding
objects as Henry stepped from Isabella's door, and looking at his
watch, said,--

"I must go, dear; it is now half-past ten."

Had little Clotelle been awake, she too would have been at the door. As
Henry walked to the gate, Isabella followed with her left hand locked
in his. Again he looked at his watch, and said, "I must go."

"It is more than a year since you staid all night," murmured Isabella,
as he folded her convulsively in his arms, and pressed upon her
beautiful lips a parting kiss.

He was nearly out of sight when, with bitter sobs, the quadroon
retraced her steps to the door of the cottage. Clotelle had in the mean
time awoke, and now inquired of her mother how long her father had been
gone. At that instant, a knock was heard at the door, and supposing
that it was Henry returning for something he had forgotten, as he
frequently did, Isabella flew to let him in. To her amazement, however,
a strange woman stood in the door.

"Who are you that comes here at this late hour?" demanded the
half-frightened Isabella.

Without making any reply, Mrs. Miller pushed the quadroon aside, and
entered the house.

"What do you want here?" again demanded Isabella.

"I am in search of you," thundered the maddened Mrs. Miller; but
thinking that her object would be better served by seeming to be kind,
she assumed a different tone of voice, and began talking in a pleasing
manner.

In this way, she succeeded in finding out the connection existing
between Linwood and Isabella, and after getting all she could out of
the unsuspecting woman, she informed her that the man she so fondly
loved had been married for more than two years. Seized with dizziness,
the poor, heart-broken woman fainted and fell upon the floor. How long
she remained there she could not tell; but when she returned to
consciousness, the strange woman was gone, and her child was standing
by her side. When she was so far recovered as to regain her feet,
Isabella went to t