ant, passing
Emily without notice. The terrified man threw himself in an agony of
fright into the gap, but was so paralysed with fear that he had no
strength to force his passage through. With his head and shoulders on
the other side of the hedge, there he stuck on his hands and knees,
offering a fair target to the bull, who flew at it with such violence,
that he forced him several yards in the opposite field. Senseless and
exhausted, he lay there more from fear than injury, while the roaring
bull paced up and down the hedge, with his tail in the air, attempting
in vain to force a passage in pursuit of the object of his detestation.

The mind of woman is often more powerful than her frame; and the one
will bear up against circumstances in which the other will succumb.
Thus it was with Emily, who reached the stile, clambered over it with
difficulty, and attaining the house of McElvina, which was but a few
yards distant, felt that her powers failed her as soon as exertion was
no longer required. With difficulty she perceived with her swimming
eyes that there was a gentleman in the parlour; and faintly exclaiming,
"O! Mr McElvina!" fell senseless into the arms of William Seymour.

Mr and Mrs McElvina were not at home: they had walked to the vicarage;
and Seymour, who was very busy finishing a sketch of the _Aspasia_ for
his hostess, had declined accompanying them in their visit. His
surprise at finding a young lady in his arms, may easily be imagined;
but, great as was his surprise, his distress was greater, from the
extreme novelty of the situation. It was not that he was unaccustomed
to female society: on the contrary, his captain had introduced him
everywhere in the different ports of the colonies in which they had
anchored; and perhaps there is no better society, although limited, than
is to be met with at the table of a colonial governor, but here it was
quite different. He had been habituated to follow in the wake, as the
lady governess made sail for the dining-room, the whole fleet forming
two lines abreast in close order, and then coming to an anchor, in
beautiful precision, to attack the dinner, which surrendered at
discretion. He had been habituated to the ball-room, where the ladies
glided over the chalked floor, like so many beautiful yachts plying in
Southampton Water on a fine day: he had tired his rate of sailing down
the middle of a country dance with some fair partner; and tacked and
wore as requ