ay my respects to the family."

"Yes," said Mr. Goodwin, "the hall-door is generally open, but it shall
not be so in future. Come out of the room, Mr. Woodward; your presence
is not required here."

"O, certainly," replied Woodward, "I feel that; and I assure you I
would not by any means have intruded had I known that Miss Goodwin was
unwell."

"She is unwell," responded her father; "very unwell; unwell unto death,
I fear. And now, Mr. Woodward," he proceeded, when they had reached the
hall, "I beg to state peremptorily and decidedly that all intimacy and
intercourse between you and our family must cease from this hour. You
visit here no more."

"This is very strange language, Mr. Goodwin," replied the other, "and
I think, as between two gentlemen, I am entitled to an explanation. I
received the permission of yourself, your lady, and your daughter to
visit here. I am not conscious of having done anything unbecoming a
gentleman, that could or ought to deprive me of a privilege which I
looked upon as an honor."

"Well, then," replied her father, "look into your own conscience, and
perhaps you will find the necessary explanation there. I am master of my
own house and my own motions, and now I beg you instantly to withdraw,
and to consider this your last visit here."

"May I not be permitted to call to-morrow to inquire after Miss
Goodwin's health?"

"Assuredly not."

"Nor to send a messenger?"

"By no means; and now, sir, withdraw; I must go in to my daughter, till
I see what can be done for her, or whether anything can or not."

Harry Woodward looked upon him steadily for a time, and the old man felt
as if his very strength was becoming relaxed; a sense of faintness and
terror came over him, and, as Woodward took his departure in silence,
the father of Alice began to abandon all hopes of her recovery. He
himself felt the effects of the mysterious gaze which Woodward had
fastened on him, and entered the room, conscious of the fatal power of
the Evil Eye.

Fit after fit succeeded each other for the space of, at least, an hour
and a half, after which they ceased, but left her in such a state of
weakness and terror that she might be said, at that moment, to hover
between life and death. She was carried in her distracted father's
arms to bed, and after they had composed her as well as they could, her
father said,--

"My darling child, you may now summon strength and courage; that man,
that bad man, will never