Page:A New England Tale.djvu/266

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A NEW-ENGLAND TALE.
255

myself, fashion's cannie hand has quite effaced my rusticity.

"By a lucky chance I met the son of your protegé, John, yesterday. The poor dog's 'hairbreadth 'scapes' will make the villagers stare, all unused as they are to the marvellous. I told him, by way of a welcome to his country, I should pay his expenses home. This I hope you, Sir, will accept in expiation of all my sins against the old basket-maker.

"With many wishes that you may find a new and more pliant subject for your mentor genius, I remain, Sir, your most obedient,

"humble servant,
"E. Erskine.

"N. B. My regards to Miss Elton. Tell her I look at the windows of our print shops every day, in the expectation of seeing, among their gay show, her lovely figure chosen by one of the sons of Apollo, to personate the stern lady, Justice, (whom few seek and none love) poising her scales in solitary dignity."


"And is this the man," thought Jane, as she folded the letter, "that I have loved—that I fancied loved me?"—and her heart rose in devout thankfulness for the escape she had made from an utter wreck of her happiness.

She next read Wilson's letter to Mr. Lloyd. It began with the particulars of his late escape, which seemed to possess his mind more than any thing else. He then said, that being about to en-