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612 
tion, however, of Madame de Woldemar, 
the mother of the disappointed Ernest, is 
carried to an improbable excess. It is 
perfectly extravagant. The young cou- 
ple live very happily at the chateau 
‘of Amelia’s brother, Albert, during a 
twelvemonth: Mr. Mansfield, at length, 
grows tired of seclusion among Bohe- 
mian mountains, is ever devising excuses 
for occasional absence, becomes dissipat- 
ed, debauched, and is killed ina duel 
which he fights with a Russian officer, 
about some singer with whom they are 
both in love. Amelia, with her child, a 
little boy, is left exposed to the unabated 
fury of her family, consoled, however, by 
the kindness of her brother Albert. 
By and by she accepts-a pressing and 
affectionate inyitation from her husband s 
uncle, Mr. Grandison, to pass her time 
with him, at Belinzonna, 2 small town in 
Switzerland, whither he had retired after 
a laborious life at sea. Amelia’s days 
roll. on very tranquilly here: Albert, 
says she, in a letter to her brother, 
“© | grow more and more attached to my 
uncle, and his kindness seems to increase in 
proportion. ‘The winter is set in here: the 
roads are covered with snow, and the ava- 
langes often carry away in their fall, trees, 
cottages, and even the inhabitants. My un- 
cle is wholly employed in preventing and re- 
patting the melancholy accidents which so 
requently happen in these parts. In a jour- 
ney that he took Jast winter across the Alps, 
he stopped several days with the monks of 
Mount St. Bernard.. He wasso much pleas- 
ed with the utility of their establishment, 
that he immediately took the necessary steps 
to form a similar one here, and he 1s now 
busily employed in carrying his plan into 
execution, Tle has erected, at proper dis- 
tanees, on the great road which passes the 
chateau, high poles, to point out the path 
through the snow: to these poles are fixed 
great bells, in order that travellers who lose 
their way may, by ringing them, obtain 
quicker assistance. We have a dog trained 
to the discovery of those who are bewildered, 
in this hoary labyrinth ; and, night and day, 
six men alternately watch, to succour any 
who may be in danger. I know? that money 
alone could furuish all this, and though we 
might applaud the man who should apply it 
to such a use, yet if he were contented 
with giving his orders, and not seeing him- 
self to their execution, the project would not 
be worthy of Mr. Grandisen. More than 
once I have seen him, at the sound.of the 
signakof distress, fearlessly put himself at the 
head of his guides, for the purpose of encor- 
raging them. Every day his house is the 
asvlum of some wandering travellers: if they 
are poor, he gives them money; if rich, he 
iexids them mules to. couvey them to’ Bellin- 
_ nal ae? ae 
ROMANCES AND NOVELS. 
zonna. All bless him, and call him, next 
to Providence, the greatest friend of the un- 
fortunate. J cannot,express to your how 
much ths; practical benevolence endears my 
uncle to me, and adds to the agreeableness of 
my present abode.” Pr ' 
Ernest had already set out on his trae 
vels before the marriage of Amelia: he 
had now attained his manhood, seen va- 
rious courts, and is represented as having 
in a great measure overcome his native 
impetuosity of temper. His pride had 
been so deeply, wounded at Amelia’s re- 
fusal of his hand, and her preference to 
one of the untitled vulgar, that he medi- 
tates a deep and diabolical revenge. He 
had heard of her retirement at Bellin- 
zonna, and determined, under the dis-. 
guise of a private gentleman, to intro- 
duce himself, secure her affections, and 
seduce her. 
One pitiless night,. after Mr. Grandi- 
son had retired to his chamber, Amelia 
heard the sound of one of the alarm- 
bells, swinging at intervals, upon the 
wind. It was with difficulty, and only 
after repeated entreaties, that she could 
persuade her uncle’s guides to face the 
sleet, and risk their. own lives among 
treacherous drifts of snow, in order to 
follow the cries of distress, and succour 
the lost travellers. ‘hey turned out, 
however, and after a long and perilous 
search, came back with some travellers 
who had been on the point of perishing. 
Mr. Semler was the assumed name of 
one, who had violently sprained his foot, 
in assisting his servant: he is confined 
some days to his bed, in the hospitable 
chateau of Mr. Grandison, attended by 
Amelia Mansfield. This Mr. Semler is 
no. other than Ernest himself, who was 
traversing the mountains in disguise, for 
the accomplishment of his foul purpose. 
Amelia’s kindness melts all his revenge : 
he writes to his young friend and Men- 
tor, Adolphus de Rheinsberg, in strains 
of the utmost eontrition and self-abase- 
ment, for his meditated perfidy towards | 
the most virtuous, accomplished, and 
eachanting woman, that ever trod upon 
the surface of the earth. He had _anti- 
cipated, with a devilish delight, the ruin 
of a female, against the influence. of 
whose charms, the remembrance of an 
imaginary, offence, he thought, would: 
completely have secured him. He sees 
her, and is subdued! So many years 
have elapsed, that he continues under th 
same roof with his betrothed Amelia, anc 
no feature, no tone of voice, no gesture 
