44' THE RIVALS. 



these proposals were made. From the extremely liberal terms on 

 which it was proposed that I should be admitted to a share of rny 

 employers' business, I could not but accept of the offer, stipulating-, 

 however, which was readily agreed to, that before I entered into the 

 concern I should be allowed to visit my native country, and spend a 

 few weeks with my relatives and friends. 



The receipt of the letter already referred to, from my parents, 

 made me engage with additional activity in preparing for my in- 

 tended journey ; for I had fully resolved to marry Matilda, if no ob- 

 stacles should occur on her part to frustrate my wishes. In a fort- 

 night afterwards I set out, not for Scotland in the first instance, but 

 for Ireland, in one of the districts of which I had some business of 

 importance to transact for the benefit of my employers. I arrived 

 in Dublin in eight weeks from the date of my leaving the place of 

 my residence in America. 



After three days' stay in the Irish metropolis, I left it on one of the 

 stage coaches for the county of Limerick, at one of the towns of 

 which I arrived in due course, and remained in it, principally en- 

 gaged in business, for twenty-four hours. One of my most intimate 

 friends in America had forwarded by me a letter to his relations, 

 who resided about six miles from this place., extorting from me a 

 promise, when setting out on my journey, that, as I was to be in the 

 town of Romney, I should do him the favour of delivering his letter 

 in propria persona. With the view of fulfilling the promise I had 

 made my friend, I left Romney at six o'clock in the evening for 

 the residence of his parents and relations. As the weather was 

 extremely fine it was towards the end of August and I had got 

 directions which I thought would render it in the highest degree im- 

 probable I should mistake the way to the place to which I was going, 

 I set out on foot by myself, being desirous of enjoying the pleasures 

 of a walk in the open country after so long a sea voyage. Part of 

 my way lay through a rather unfrequented path, and just at the very 

 moment at which I was in the most lonesome portion of it the sky, 

 which but a few minutes before was as bright and beautiful as ever 

 mortal eye gazed on, all at once assumed a most lowering aspect, an 

 aspect which proved too portentous of the dreadful storm which the 

 heavens were about to discharge on that portion of our earth. I 

 looked above and around me, and, when I beheld the frowning ap- 

 pearance which nature had so suddenly assumed, I felt an emotion 

 of terror come over me, such as I had never before experienced. 

 With that instinctive desire of self-preservation which is the last as 

 well as the first law of our nature, and which man feels in every 

 situation, however perilous, in which he can be placed, I paused for 

 a moment to consider in my own mind how I might best escape from 

 the impending storm. Adjacent to a little wood, and situated by it- 

 self, I saw a small hut or cabin, about half a mile distant. As it was 

 the only human habitation at this critical moment within the reach of 

 my eye, I resolved on directing my steps to it. Just as I left the 

 foot-path to cross a moor which intervened between me and the 

 wretched-looking hovel, a vivid blaze of the electric fluid flashed 

 across my eyes, and in a moment it was succeeded by a peal of thun- 



