table, and not one present but must have acknowledged the force of his collected and haughty bearing. The servant was first called in, and, on examination, detailed what he had seen, in exactly the same manner that he had done before to Mr. Hamilton.

"You had a friend or two last evening in the servants' hall, Harkan, I believe?" said Mr. Wharton, while the coolness of his tone and manner contrasted strongly with the shivering and eager demeanour of the person who accused him.

"We had, sir-two; but one of them went away at ten o'clock-only one stayed all night."

"Well, and as you usually do, you indulged yourself pretty liberally, I suppose ?"

"I can't deny, sir, I drank something," said the servant, as his colour rose, and he looked hard at the coro"Not much-very little. But God knows whether it was great or small; the sight of you, sir, last night, was enough to sober any man.'

ner.

Wharton turned away with a slight smile, and in silence; he did not weaken the triumph of mind and manner by saying another word. The curate was then briefly examined, and after him several of the servants more at length; when the medical man made his appearance, and declared he would require more time and further assistance, before he could pronounce any opinion as to the cause of death. Accordingly, the coroner suspended the proceedings until the following day; but, before his departure, signified to Mr. Wharton that he was to consider himself under arrest.

Mr.

"That is," said the other," I am to have the pleasure of a policeman's company at my dinner-table; and he is to sleep in the same room with me, too, as well as acting major-domo in my kitchen and drawing-room. Hamilton, I throw myself on your generosity. Will you sum up your kindness by remaining with me the rest of this day and night. I know you will. I shall have a bed put up for you in my own room, and you, Mr. Coroner, may place your guards outside, as you wish. You are satisfied, I presume? You know Mr. Hamilton's character, and he is one of your own witnesses, too."

The coroner made no objection to

this arrangement; and thus, almost without his own consent, the curate found himself placed, half guard, half companion, with a suspected murderer. However, he did not refuse the post, for his mind yielded to the strong fascination of doubt and mystery which hung over the bearing and conduct of the man before him-at one moment exhibiting all the bold attributes of conscious innocence-at another, the deportment of shrinking guilt. If the child had been poisoned, was it likely that his murderer would remain so quietly as he did in a distant room, while the surgeon was proceeding with his researches, on the result of which would most probably depend a fearful issue of life or death. Such is not generally the conduct of a conscious poisoner, reasoned the clergyman. But then, in the morning, when the rent in the paper wall first met his eye, the still and sudden horror with which he viewed it, the silent and conscious movement to try and screen it, the suspicious and constant harping on the servant's absence, and the evident disinclination to send at once for medical assistance-all, independent of other evidence, contributed to excite in the curate's mind a terrible misgiving, which he could not shake off. And it gradually increased, though his companion talked with all his brilliant fluency and pointed illustration; and when the lamps were burning down, and the night drew on apace, Hamilton could see little in the kindling eye of the excited speaker, but the fiendish look of the murderer -could hear nothing in his voice of music but the hollow tone of the assassin. The other could not but perceive his companion's evident feeling, and as he rose from his seat, he said

"I shall not detain you longer from your rest-if indeed you can rest." He caught hold of Hamilton's hand, and continued-"I feel a strange whispering at my heart, as if the kindness or enmity of any one would not long be much to me. It weakens me a little; but that is nothing. I am urging a disagreeable office on you, which I should not have done, only they tell me I am given to speak in my sleep, and to walk, too, if I am not belied. For the sake of all you hold dear on earth or in heaven, rouse me at once, should I stir, or even whisper.

The

scoundrels about me would never understand it, and would subject me to insult in the exercise of their petty authority. If I am unreasonable, forgive me. If a condemned criminal were to ask you to spend the last earthly night in his cell, would you say no to him?"

If the curate had any rising disinclination to share Wharton's sleepingroom, it was overcome by the resistless earnestness of this speech, and he followed his host in silence up the stairs. It is a large, oblong apartment, lined throughout with old, dark, carved oak, the sombre appearance of which is little altered from what it presented on that night of terror. There was a bed in each extremity of the room. In the front wall, that looked towards the lawn, were three high and deep windows, which were closed by shutters, and concealed still further by the heavy drapery of the dark-red curtains hanging over them. Immediately behind this room is the apartment wherein lay the remains of the dead boy; and in the corner, next the side-wall, there is a door of communication between the two chambers, which door was kept either nailed-up or left open, according as the occupants of the house thought fit. Again, in the rear of this room, is the closet partitioned off by some former owner, and from which the servant stated he had witnessed the scene which he described. It was through the narrow door of communication, not through that on the landing-place, that he swore he saw the uncle approach the nephew's bedside, and when the curate looked at it, he could not forbear a slight shudder.

Nei.

The curtains of his bed were down, and, retiring between it and the wall, he prayed to his Father who is in secret; then undressed himself and went to bed-calmer and more composed after the heavenly communion. ther party spoke a single word, and it was only from his occasional movements that the curate was made aware of his companion's presence. At last, the latter extinguished the lamp, and went to bed. Mr. Hamilton could not sleep; he even restrained his own breathing to listen to the other's, which at last became so deep and regular as to make it evident that he slept. Then the curate could not

forbear asking himself-Is it possible the guilt of murder is weighing down the soul of a man who can sleep in apparent peace, while a simply excited feeling is enough to keep slumber from my eyelids? The truth of his suspi cions was more shaken than ever. He threw aside the curtains noiselessly, and looked out into the room. A bright fire was blazing in the large, old-fashioned grate, and its reflection showed, with great distinctness, the face and figure of the sleeping man. It soon became apparent that, if the outward semblance slumbered, it was only to allow the fierce spirit to show its strong and real workings in terrible sincerity. The arm and clenched hand were thrown suddenly into the air above him, and the flame's light gleamed on the starting sinews in all their spasmodic energy.

"I defy you to find my secret," he muttered, in a deep and hollow tone. "If you were twelve devils, instead of men, I defy you. Not guilty, of course-not guilty. Oh! how I could laugh at you all, if it wasn't for the pale face I see over that man's shoulder. Give me some wine, or something stronger if you have it, and then I'll try another poison on the white lipsperhaps that will drive him off!"

He ceased, flung down the bedclothes, rose and stood on the floor, with the red light of the fire reflected on his white, ghost-like figure. He was sound asleep. His motionless eyelids were but partly closed, and the balls beneath them showed only half their glassy surface to the curate's spell-bound gaze. Had his life depended on it, the latter could not stir

could not shout-a mountain-load rested on his tranced limbs and rooted tongue. The sleep-walker stood still for a moment, in a listening attitude; then he approached the wall on the right-side of the fire, passed his hand over the wainscoting, rested his finger on one particular spot, when, to the curate's increased surprise, a small, square compartment flew back like a door when its spring is touched. speechless and motionless amazement, Hamilton saw the sleeping man take a bottle and cup from the concealed crypt, and pour the contents of the former into the cup. He then said something in a low, muttering tone, that was inaudible to the breathless

In

spectator frowned-swallowed the mixture himself, and walked back composedly to bed.

It was only then a suspicion that the bottle's contents might have been poison roused the spectator from his deep trance of indecision: he rushed from his bed, grasped the sleeping man's shoulder, and shook it with a force that soon roused him; and, as soon as Wharton had raised himself collectedly on his elbow, and asked why he was disturbed, the curate pointed in silence to the open cupboard or crypt; but no sooner had the other seen it, than, with a spring like a tiger's, he bounded from his bed, seized the curate by the throat-and it was well no instrument of death offered itself to his hand, for there was murder in his rolling eye.

"Villanous spy!" he shouted, or rather howled-" villain, with an angel's tongue and a fiend's cunning-is this your pretended kindness? Oh! that I had something near me sharp enough to send you to the God or devil, that has put my secret in your power!"

And he flung the young man from him, clasped his hands on his own forehead, and threw himself madly on the bed. His companion soon recovered from the effects of his violence.

"Mr. Wharton," he said, firmly, "the opening of that place has been your own sleeping act; and, more than that, you have swallowed the contents of a bottle that was in it; you know better than I what those contents were."

Wharton slowly turned his face round to the speaker, and in a very few moments the traces of demoniac fury seemed to have merged into pallor and prostration.

"Is that so?" he said. "But it is -it is; my heart is sinking, and tells me you have spoken the truth. That is indeed strange. But you may edge the moral of a sermon with this night's scene. I shall not hear it, however. It is one comfort that I swallowed it all, though. Better have all over in a few hours, than to lie here a day or two, or three, be gazed at by stupid clowns, with a coroner's order to stare at me. I offered you some rudeness; I hope you forgive me."

"I do, I do," said the curate, eagerly; but we must talk of other

things now. We must send for assistance."

He ran to the bell, which he rang loud and long. It was answered by a policeman.

"Let some one ride, for life and death, to the town, and bring Dr. Martin."

He rapidly wrote with a pencil some few lines on a leaf that he tore from his pocket-book, then handed it to the policeman, who immediately withdrew.

"Now sit down; let me speak to you, and lose no time," said the dying man. "There was enough of arsenic in that cup to poison a dozen people, so I need hardly tell you any assistance must be quite in vain; and I am glad of it-I'll disappoint them all. Ïf I lived now, it would only be to die a felon's death at their next assizes; for with that open door, they would bring home the murder to me; and I did murder him. But sit down, and listen to me."

His tale was to the following effect, though not exactly in the same words; for Mr. Hamilton said his sentences fell short and abrupt, as though he hurried to an end; besides which, they were frequently broken in upon by fits of faintness and apparent for getfulness, which showed how the poison's working was rapidly triumphing over the strongholds of life :

"My brother and I were our father's only children, and I was the younger. The best education that money could purchase was offered to us, but I only availed myself of it; for my brother was soon told that the heir of a large fortune had no need of book-learning to help him in spending his money. He believed this; he grew up a narrow-minded man, full of mental prejudice and bodily hypochondriacism. My father died, and his strictly entailed property came to my brother, upon whom I found myself dependent for a provision in the world. This should not have been, but all my father's disposable money had been lost on race-courses, and there was nothing except the land, an acre of which I could not call mine. But my brother's penurious habits soon enabled him to pay off whatever incumbrances were on the property, and to swell his rent-roll by new purchases. I told him of my wish to take up some pro

fessional career, and asked him for the necessary supply of money, to enable me to do so; but I believe my company had become useful to him, for he raised objections to every plan I had formed. In terms of soothing mystery he spoke to me of the success he would insure me in good time; of his own determination never to marry, and of his gradually decaying health. So, like a fool, I remained; a sort of male nurse to his bodily ailments, and a David to charm away the gloom of his mental evil spirit.

"There was a lady, daughter of one who lived not far from my brother's demesne. She was young and beautiful. I was intimate at the house, and, to a mind like mine, nothing could be more grateful than the companionship of a strong passion. In fine, I loved her, and she returned my love with all the strength of a first feeling in a warm, young heart. Her fa

mily made no objection to my addresses, except from my want of means; and I was driven to my brother to sue, like a beggar, for what I always thought should have been my right. I told him my object and my reason for this fresh and urgent appeal. He laughed at me, and sneeringly desired me to drive the foolish fancy out of my head. He went farther—he threatened me; farther still-for mistaking my calmness for cowardice, he struck

me.

I

It was only once, however; for I smote him to my feet, and trampled on him again and again. I then quit ted the place, and took up my abode in the house of a distant tenant. brooded in silence over my wrongs and my prospects; and thence I can trace one of the sullen springs that swelled the dark stream which has carried me on to murder. I returned, and visited the house of the woman I loved, but found it empty, nor was I long in ascertaining the cause. A case of aggravated seduction had occurred in the neighbourhood, and my brother, with the assistance of one or two others, whom his money had bought, trumped up a well-spun tale of which I was the hero, and had it forwarded to the family of my love. They departed, I could not discover whither; until about five years ago, I heard that she died abroad, and unmarried, in the prime of her days, her affection still my own. I am glad of

it; better that she died then than have lived to hear that the man she loved went out of the world like a poisoned hound, with the guilt of detected and bungling murder on his head. Enough of her she is at peace.

"But my brother took what he deemed was a more exquisite revenge on me. He married the daughter of an humble farmer. I cared little for that. I met him by chance, and I saw his miserable soul quail before me, and he was glad to give me a large sum of money to get rid of me. Το me it was only useful at that time, to carry me away from the place, and, if possible, from thought too. I left the country, and went abroad. I mingled deeply in every scene of peril, excite ment, and fiery pleasure that I could meet. Oh! that I had grasped the soldier's honest sword, and died on some hard-fought breach, like a man of honour, rather than have lived to perish thus; praying for the poisoned death of a demi-suicide, to save me from the gallows.

I

"Shortly after hearing of her death. I was told by a chance companion in Paris, that my brother's wife had died some years before, in giving birth to a son, who was alive, but an orphan; for his father too was no more, having, they told me, shortened his life by the medicines he used so plentifully to prolong it. It was not long until I returned to Ireland, and presented my self to my brother's executors. worked all the depths and windings of hypocrisy to gain their good opinion, in which I succeeded, and was appointed my nephew's guardian. He always feared and hated me: had it been otherwise, perhaps I might have proved as firm a friend as I have done a fatal enemy. But it was not fated to be so. I resolved on his murder. I studied the action and quality of poison. I dosed him with small quanties of arsenic, to break down his constitution, and I succeeded. I invented the heart disease, too—a part of which plan was the forged letter you may remember I showed you. I took him from place to place, and resolved that a sudden death should end his imaginary disorder. This house offered: its haunted reputation its neighbourhood gradually thinning-all was in its favour. There was the spa-water, too, and I might enjoy the credit of consulting

the boy's health, while I was only using it as the vehicle for my deadly agent. I intended to have turned your intimacy to profitable account; but no more of that. How often have I encouraged the boy in his lonely walks beside the deep river in the glen, hoping that a tortured frame and broken health might have driven him to suicide, and thus have saved me from that deed which I longed to do, but dreaded; however, in that hope I was disappointed. Then, towards the end, I feared to use arsenic, for I knew its symptoms, and how easily it was detected, so I changed my hand to another poison; and, in fine, I dealt the last blow with prussic acid, that was open to little objection. Had I succeeded, and had I lived, I should have been master of a large fortune, and I would not have trembled, at least I think not, before the fancied spectres that are said always to dog the footsteps of murderers who escape the justice of the law. Enough-you have my confession; say no more to me now. Do not mock me with the jargon of repentance; as if the few trembling words of a cowardly deathbed could wipe off the black sins of a whole life. Speak no more to me."

It is hardly necessary to say, that this injunction was not regarded by

the zealous pastor, who told the dying man of the criminal on the cross, and of the Almghty's power-strong even in the case which seems most hopeless. But his words fell apparently unheeded, because the fainting-fits were becoming more frequent and prolonged; in addition to which convulsive twitchings of limb and face proved the deadly working of the strong poison. The surgeon soon arrived, and used the means in his power with skill and energy on an object now almost passive, for he made no opposition to the employment of any remedy. The symptoms went on, unchecked by art-the heavy dead-sleep settled down on him, after the convulsions had spent their force and frequency; and, without a groan, without a murmur, the man died, five or six hours after he had, in a manner so unconsciously retributive, swallowed the fatal drug which he had used to break down the life of a relative and fellow-creature. They buried the bodies of uncle and nephew in the same churchyard, though not in the one grave and since that time decay has been the portion of that house of crime and misfortune; nor is it likely to be otherwise, until utter ruin shall have levelled every stone, and crushed all traces of its dreaded walls.

They were its last tenants.

VOL. XXXII.--NO. CLXXXVIII.