medicine, and I will answer for your expelling from your mind that
dreadful purpose that entails upon you misery, and disgraces the
nature of man."

"Your advice is excellent," replied he, somewhat roused; "but,
unfortunately, I hae got the same frae my ain mind; and, what is mair,
I hae tried it--I hae tried it again and again;--the medicine is worth
nae mair to me than a bread pill. My efforts to exercise my mind, when
a fit o' sorrow presses upon it, only mak the sorrow the heavier, by
makin the mind less able to bear it. My soul is for ever bent on that
question o' the necessity o' the will which you despise and avoid. I
will, God is my witness, argue it with you, calmly and reasonably."

"Unless you agree to renounce that question," said I, "I can do you no
good."

"Then," replied he, with a groan, "I am left to Heaven and my
unavoidable fate. May God have mercy on my soul!"

And he again relapsed into a fit of dejection, his head leaning on his
breast, and his eyes fixed on the bed.

I could, I found, make no more of him that day, and my other
avocations required my departure. I told him I would call again, and
bring or send him some medicine.

"It is an unnecessary waste o' your valuable time," he said, lifting
up his head, "to call again upon a wretch like me. I am much obliged
to you for advice; but the only medicine for me is--_death_."

He pronounced the fearful word with an emphatic guttural tone, which
gave it a terrific effect. I opened the door to depart, and was
surprised to find that it would not go back sufficiently to allow me
to pass freely. The probable cause of the interruption flashed upon
my mind in an instant. Without speaking a word, I edged myself
through, and saw, lying at the back of the door, the body of the
unfortunate young woman, in a state of insensibility. I had presence
of mind enough not to carry her into the room where her father lay;
but, seeing the light of the kitchen at the further end of the long
gloomy passage, I snatched her up in my arms, and hastened with her
thither. Having laid her on a small truckle bed, whereon, I presume,
she usually slept, I found she was in a deep swoon; and,
notwithstanding that it was getting dark, and my time was expired, I
waited her recovery. As she lay before me, pale as a corpse, and as
I thought of the cause of her illness, and looked round in vain for
any one to give her assistance or consolation (the groans of her
father, which I i