to a prison, where I might sue in vain for an
opportunity of proving my sanity—where I
could hope for no release but death.

But I determined to make an effort to free
myself from their persecutions; I would not
despair. I knew I stood alone, and that my
enemies were numerous; but I was not going
to yield easily. I felt that if I could but rid
myself of these terrible imaginations, I should
gain the courage to set every one at defiance.
I thought of the doctor's advice, and resolved
to seek at once for a wife. I was not long in
fixing upon some one. My old master, Cobb
(the firm had dwindled to plain Cobb, now,
for Dawkey was dead), had a daughter.
Cobb was never very friendly to me, but he
owed me a large sum of money, for which I
had obtained judgments against him; and
although he paid me interest regularly, I
could have put them in force against him at
any hour. Knowing this, and that Cobb was
short of ready money just then, I started to
make my offer to him with pretty good hopes
of success.

Cobb lived in a town on the coast. He
was a crafty little old man, full of fair words,
but very hard to move in anything that was
not to his own advantage. I went to see him
in his dirty, ink-splashed counting-house, where
I had sat some years before. Cobb was " very
glad to see me—very sorry to hear that my
health was not good." I asked who had told
him that my health was not good?

"Oh, he couldn't say exactly. He certainly
had heard it somewhere; but, wherever he
heard it, it was a subject of deep regret to
him."

"Why should it be a subject of deep regret
to you, Mr. Cobb? " said I, observing him
closely; for I suspected that some of my
relatives had been talking with him about
me.

"Why? He was surprised to hear me ask
that question. Hadn't he known me from a
boy? Didn't he flatter himself that it was he
who had made a man of business of me? Did
I recollect that mistake I made once in
Parker and Go's, account, and the little ' tiff '
we had about it? " And so on.

"Mr. Cobb," said I, (for I always got
impatient when he talked to me in this manner)
"are you prepared to let me have my principal
on those judgment debts?"

"This day three mouths," said he, " the
money shall be paid into your banker's. Let
me make a note at that date in my diary, that
I mayn't forget it."

"Very good," said I, " let it stand over till
then. And now that is settled, I have
another matter to speak to you about. You
have a daughter, Mr. Cobb."

He looked surprised. I thought he seemed
fidgetty. He bade me take a chair, and then
said, "Yes, my only child. My daughter
Augusta. God bless her! she is dearer to
me than my life."

"I do not doubt she is a very excellent
young woman," said I, " or that she will be a
great acquisition to the man who wins her;
no necessity at all to praise her good qualities
to me. I am thinking of taking a wife, Mr.
Cobb. I am not a poor man, as you are
aware. May I hope to gain the hand of Miss
Cobb?"

"I can't promise you anything," he replied.
"Women are very capricious. I know it
would be very advantageous. But I can't
force her. I would not make her unhappy to
save myself from ruin."

I was at first rather surprised at his
luke-warmness; but I guessed what all this meant.
"Make her unhappy! Mr. Cobb? " said I.
"You have allowed yourself to be prejudiced
against me in some manner."

He assured me I was mistaken; but he
seemed embarrassed.

"The truth is," said he, " she has already a
kind of attachment. I don't know whether
it is broken off or not. I never attempt to
control her in this matter."

I asked the name of my supposed rival,
but he would not tell me, though he said it
was a mere boy and girl affair. Nothing
would come of it, he was sure. I thought he
was deceiving me and I felt angry with him,
and rose from my chair to go: but he stopped
me. A new thought seemed to have struck
him.

"We must not be too hasty," said he.' "You
had better call here as a simple visitor for a
month or so: after that I will sound Augusta."

I pointed out that we lived at some distance
apart, and that I had not much time to spend
in courtship: but he maintained his ground;
and prevailed on me to agree to his plan. I
stayed with him that afternoon, and his
daughter made tea for us. I don't know how
she may have appeared to others; but I
always thought her no great beauty. I don't
deny that her manners were pleasing enough.
She is dead now, poor thing!  I do not know
that she ever deceived me, and I would not
say anything ungenerous about her for the
world.

I did not go there very often that month,
but I will tell the truth. I admit that I felt
a pleasure in the company of Augusta. I
thought she would make me a good wife, and
that we might live very comfortably together.
When the month was up, I asked Cobb, if he
had spoken with his daughter, as he had
promised. He put me off with excuses. I began
to suspect that he was only anxious to gain
time to pay off his debt, and to snap his
fingers in my face. I told him so; but he
found means of putting me off again.

Two months had passed, and I had never
spoken to Augusta of my object.  My visits
were rare, and I saw that she did not even
suspect it. I determined that I would not be
duped by her father any longer. I would go
and speak to her myself. In her house, I
felt as free from care as any man. But in my
miserable home, my terrible malady continued