THE RIVALS. 49 



and galloped off with the utmost speed. The bridegroom fell back 

 on the ground; his groans were heard; a surgeon was sent for, but 

 his skill was of no avail, the unfortunate man expired in five minutes 

 after. The assassin had not then been discovered nor even so much 

 as suspected. 



On hearing of the dreadful occurrence the bride fell into a swoon, 

 in which she continued for several minutes, at the end of which time 

 returning consciousness once more visited her. It was only, how- 

 ever, to render her aware of the full extent of the calamity which 

 had happened. The sun shone into her bed-chamber on the following 

 morning, but ere his rays had alighted on the earth a dark cloud had 

 enveloped the mind of the lovely bride her intellects were deranged, 

 her reason was gone. The murdered bridegroom was- interred iti 

 the parish church-yard; it was on his grave, the grave of her lover 

 the grave of her husband that the unhappy Matilda was strewing 

 wild flowers and grass as I passed it that day. 



When the agitation produced in my mind by the narration of the 

 above facts had somewhat subsided, I made enquiry respecting my 

 former most intimate acquaintances, and among the rest I enquired 

 with peculiar solicitude what had become of my other associate and 

 class-fellow, David Alshar. I was told by my friends that it was not 

 in their power to give me any particular information in regard to 

 him, that he had suddenly left his native village more than three 

 months since, and that his relations neither knew the cause of his 

 disappearance nor the place to which he had repaired. This intelli- 

 gence gave me additional uneasiness of mind, and made me still more 

 anxious to know something more of his mysterious history ; but no 

 one in the neighbourhood could furnish me^with the desired informa- 

 tion. 



In about three weeks thereafter I read with horror in the Irish 

 newspapers an account of the trial and execution of David Alshar, a 

 native of the village of Ardmore, in the west of Scotland, for an atro- 

 cious murder committed by him and another individual, an Irishman, 

 on a specified day in the neighbourhood of Romney, county of Li- 

 merick. The former of these murderers, I need not apprise the 

 reader, was none other than the last survivor of the two bosom com- 

 panions of my early life. The same Journal in which I first perused 

 this horrible intelligence contained also a report of the confessions he 

 had made to his jailor, on the night prior to his execution. It was 

 by his hand that his and my early companion and friend, Joseph 

 Bennett, had fallen. He had been prompted to the perpetration of the 

 murderous deed when in a paroxysm of rage, produced in his mind 

 by a mingled feeling of mortification .and envy. He had solicited the 

 hand of Matilda in marriage ; she refused on the ground that she was 

 already pledged to another. He felt so chagrined at the circum- 

 stance that in a few days thereafter he left the place, unknown to 

 any body. On hearing how he had been apprised of the fact does 

 not appear that she was to be married on a given day to Joseph 

 Bennett, he made his appearance at the time, and the place, and in 

 the manner referred to, and imbrued his hands in the blood of hig 

 rival friend. 



M.M. No. 1. D 



