trouble yourself to make no denial, for
Evelina and I both watched you."

Agnes rose from the table, and all who were gathered around it were
amazed at the unusual vehemence of her manner, as with an expression of
intense wretchedness upon her face, she exclaimed:

"Oh! _do, do_ let me alone! do leave me in quiet; for I am very, very
unhappy!"

And hastily, and with great agitation, Agnes left the room.

Mr. Fairland, who was so much interested in a paragraph in the paper,
which appeared to shock him exceedingly, that he had not heard the
ill-natured remarks of his daughters, looked up just as Agnes rose from
the table, and heard her agonized address.

With more sternness than usual, he asked his daughters what they had
been saying to Agnes, and on hearing their account of the conversation,
he exclaimed:

"Poor Agnes! you will see in this paper girls something that will shock
you, and will perhaps inspire you with a little sympathy for one whom it
seems to be your delight to torment. You may perhaps now guess who it
was that Agnes met in the grove last night."

The Misses Fairland were really shocked to read the account of the
murder, and to read the name of Lewis Elwyn as the murderer; and
something like remorse for a moment visited their minds, that they had
added to the sufferings of the already burdened heart of Agnes.

"Poor fellow! poor young man!" exclaimed Mr. Fairland; "such a handsome
fellow as he was, and such a sweet singer too! this seems to have been
done in a sudden passion; and not without provocation too. But it is an
awful thing! Poor Agnes! she must not attempt to teach the children
while she is so distressed; and I do desire girls, that you will have
the _decency_, if you have not the _feeling_, to leave her entirely
undisturbed."

Days passed on and nothing was heard of the fugitive. Oh, what days of
restless and painful suspense to Agnes! Had she not had constant and
unusual occupation for her time, it seemed to her that she could not
keep her reason. But poor Tiney had grown suddenly and alarmingly worse,
and the physician said a very days at most would terminate her
sufferings. With all the distressing thoughts which crowded upon her,
Agnes remained by the bed-side of the little sufferer, endeavoring to
soothe and cheer her descent to the dark valley.

Mrs. Fairland, who though indolent and indifferent in many things with
regard to her children, was not altogether without natural affe