judge for me."

"Pardon me, my friend," returned Talton. "I speak not from conjecture;
neither am I altogether unacquainted with those anxieties which have
rendered you unhappy; and if you will listen to the tale of the woman I
love, you may, perhaps, be convinced of the justness of my assertion."

The Captain bowed his consent--.

"Miss Holly, Howard, was an only daughter, and brought up by an old
humourist of a father, whose idol she was, whilst she yielded every
sense to his guidance. Many proposals of marriage were offered, but none
thought worthy her acceptance by Mr. Holly, till he accidentally met
with Sir Horace Corbet, an old schoolfellow, and as great an oddity as
himself, with whom he renewed his acquaintance; and an union was
proposed between their children--agreed on, the writings drawn, and the
wedding-day fixed, before the young people were acquainted with the
least circumstance, or their sentiments respecting it, asked! Miss Holly
received the mandate of her father, to regard Mr. Corbet as the husband
he had selected, with the greatest distress; and at last informed him
her affections were irrevocably fixed on another. But vain were her
supplications and tears: the old gentleman was peremptory--and Miss
Holly eloped!

"I shall not attempt to describe the rage of the fathers on this
occasion; six months elapsed without their being able to discover the
place of her retreat; when her aunt, who had for years estranged herself
from all intercourse with the family, arrived at Holly seat, and, with
great formality, acquainted her brother his daughter had taken refuge
with her, and, hoping by that time his resentment had subsided, had
engaged her to attempt a reconciliation. The old gentleman appeared
delighted; a messenger was dispatched for her, and, on her arrival, she
was received with every demonstration of joy and affection! The calm,
however, was deceitful; for the next morning he led her to the chapel,
where Sir Horace and his son were waiting, and there forced her to give
her hand to the latter! Could happiness result from such an union?--Oh
no! What followed might naturally have been expected; indifference on
one side, disgust on the other.

Soon after the nuptials, Mrs. Corbet's aunt died; and, considering her
niece highly injured by the measures which had been pursued, left her
the whole of her fortune, amounting to thirty thousand pounds,
independent of her husband. In less than a twelvemonth