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THOUGH the little drama which had thus been enacted was, so far as its leading features were concerned, of anything but unfrequent occurrence, it had sufficiently engrossed the attention of all the witnesses to make them utterly unmindful, for the time, of what might be taking place without. St. Edmunds had observed, it is true, when he had last approached the outer door, that several persons, principally of the more communicative sex, were assembling there in earnest consultation. This circumstance however might, as he judged, be attributable merely to the interest which so sad

and early a fate as poor Mabel's could not but awaken among her neighbours and associates; a surmise which, though very plausible, was not altogether correct.

It is by no means our purpose to attempt offering some explanation of our own for the long-studied phenomenon of the marvellous rapidity with which evil tidings will be borne, independently, it would appear, of any direct human agency. We, therefore, need not endeavour to illustrate how it was, that while Mrs. Hawthorne was perfectly convinced of having mentioned to no one, saving to Mrs. Cranberry, the fact that owing, as she conceived, to Miss Cécile Basinstoke's influence, Mabel had rejected the offices of Mr. Lewis; and while Mrs. Cranberry was equally confident of having whispered the same merely to her husband and daughter, the said intelligence had, almost immediately, reached, not only every house in the village, but many which were not included in its precincts. Mr. Lewis was generally much respected and beloved by his parishioners: the notion that he had met with any slight or indignity would, in all seasons no doubt, have called forth an universal expression

of their reprobation and resentment; but, on the present day, so especially consecrated to Protestant festivity, these feelings proved to be peculiarly fervent and expansive. Many persons at first could not credit the statement; but when induced by others to draw near to Mrs. Hawthorne's house, and to interrogate those witnesses who had actually seen, with their own eyes, Mr. Lewis retiring from it, as Father Athanasius, whose horse was still there, had entered it, they were by no means the most remiss in giving vent to their proper sentiments. Thus had the small crowd that we have already alluded to originally congregated, and arrested, in its turn, the footsteps of many labourers, operatives, and other strangers, as they were proceeding into Glanford, to take a part there in the forthcoming demonstration.

"What's the row here, Bill?" said one of the latter to his companion, by all appearance an artisan, like himself; "have you made out yet ?"

"Not a bit of it," replied Bill; "but there is always something or other that turns up

out of a crowd.

Perhaps you could tell us,

old lady?" added he, addressing a neighbouring personage, to whom the designation perfectly applied.

"I haven't exactly come at it," answered she; "but I understand that it is some priests and Papists, who have been insulting a clergyman, and forcing themselves up to the deathbed of a poor girl in there."

"That's for her money, you know," observed

Bill.

"You may take your oath to that, Bill," rejoined his comrade.

"I shouldn't think that the like of her had much," said the old lady.

"Never you mind that, Ma'am," exclaimed Bill; "it is not so much that they want; for a little here, and a little there, makes up a decent figure towards the end of the year. I was reading all about it in the 'Lincoln Express' the night before last."

"And they won't leave off neither," remarked a new-comer, "until we have given some of them a right good ducking, as they deserve."

The laugh of approbation, which this sentiment called forth, had scarcely subsided, when Bill's voice was again heard crying out:

"Lord bless us! there they be, upon my word! They arn't agoing to carry off the sick girl, are they? She looks pale enough, to be sure, but I shouldn't say that she was dying neither."

"That arn't the dead un, man," interposed the old lady, who was a stranger to the village; "she must be the one they was a talking of just now, who is in league with the priest, and insulted the clergyman.'

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"If I had my ways, I should have her ducked with the rest," resumed the original author of the motion, whose rubicund complexion would scarcely have testified that his tastes were so decidedly aquatic.

In the meanwhile, she to whom these latter observations referred, had been somewhat startled on beholding, as she prepared to issue from Mrs. Hawthorne's cottage, the numerous assemblage which was hanging around it, as well as the decidedly unfriendly and disrespectful expression of all the eyes which were rivetted upon her.

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