ether his father once asked alms or not; but I know nothing of
my progenitors; whether they were of a proud or of a humble station,
whether good or vicious; whether they be yet living or be long
since dead. I do not know even whether my guardian knew them, nor
how he has come to be my guardian, my kind supporter, friend:
nothing do I know of these, whose all I ought to know. What is the
reason of this singular secrecy? Nurse, tell me all you know,--for
well I know you know,--tell me, I say, about my parentage; declare,
again I charge you, and now most solemnly, if you really love me,
who gave me to your care and to his kind tutelage: Nurse, Mona,
foster-mother, speak; how have I become the ward, nay, like the
very child, of that eccentric, wise, gay, good old man?"

"More gay than good, and not so wise as wicked," muttered Mona,
and, not giving her companion time to reply, continued:

"Amanda, do not importune me further, I conjure you. Enough for
you to know your guardian loves you, cherishes you even as if you
were his child. Let us arise from table since our meal seems
done;--what is it that alarms you?" Ah! And at that moment the
report of a gun, the crashing of a window pane, the sound of shot
hurtling past, its striking the opposite wall of the apartment,
and dropping, along with falling plaster, on to the floor, burst
upon them; followed, without, by the expostulating tones of a
man-servant, that were soon overpowered by a loud guffaw, and,
before the interlocuters had recovered from their astonishment and
terror, Narcisse, followed by several men carrying fowling pieces,
rushed, swearing, into the vestibule. Amanda saw him, and, rising
to her feet, regarded him through the doorway with a look of scorn
and anger akin to that cast by the Belviderean Apollo upon the
wounded Python. But his dull temperament was invulnerable to the
arrows that shot from her eyes, and, undaunted, he swept forward
into the room, and with coarse familiarity attempted to salute her.
He was unsuccessful, for Mona, advancing between them, hindered
the nearer approach of the intruding mannikin, who, baffled, and
with the eyes of Amanda still fixed upon him, and yet beaming
ineffable contempt and disdain, at length stood before her with
downcast look, like one detected in some act of guilt. His companions
one by one slunk back to the lawn, whither in the dumb disgrace of
his discomfiture, he followed them. There, meeting with the domestic