; for I have not told you that I am thinking of marrying a man
whom I cannot love, merely to provide for our family. Is not this a
sin?--and can I, with an intention of doing what I know to be wrong,
safely communicate?" I assured her that, instead of thinking it a sin, I
thought her resolution commendable, particularly as the object of her
real affection was beyond its reach; and I mention the circumstance to
show that there is often much honour, and even delicacy of feeling,
natural as well as religious, under very uncongenial circumstances and
appearances. Having satisfied her mind on this subject, I had the
pleasure to see her at the communion table, conducting herself with much
seeming seriousness of spirit. I could see her shed tears, and formed
the very best opinion of her from her conduct throughout.

In a few days or weeks after this, the proclamation lines were put into
my hands, and I had the pleasure of uniting her to Captain M'Guffock in
due course. They had, however, only been married a few weeks, when an
occurrence of a very awkward character threw her and her husband, who
was, in fact, an ill-tempered, passionate man, into much perplexity. The
captain was absent on a coasting voyage, as usual; and his wife was
superintending the washing of some clothes, whilst the sun was setting.
It was a lovely evening in the month of July, and the fishing boats were
spread out all over the mouth of the Firth, from the East Neuk to the
Isle of May, in the same manner in which you see them at present. Mrs.
M'Guffock's mind assumed, notwithstanding the glorious scenery around
her, a serious cast, for she could not help recalling many such evenings
in which she had rejoiced in company and in unison with her beloved
Thomas. She felt and knew that it was wrong to indulge such emotions;
but she could not help it. At last, altogether overcome, she threw
herself forward on the green turf, and prayed audibly--"O my God, give
me strength and grace to forget my own truly beloved Thomas! Alas! he
knows not the struggles which I have to exclude him from my sinful
meditations. Even suppose he were again to arise from the dead, and
appear in all the reality of his youthful being, I must, and would fly
from him as from my most dangerous foe." She lifted up her eyes in the
twilight, and in the next instant felt herself in the arms of a powerful
person, who pressed her in silence to his breast. Amazed and bewildered,
she neither screamed