394 PHCEBE ELLIOT. 



Phoebe had often felt its cheering influence, but 

 now it seemed to mock her woe and sadness. She 

 raised her downcast eyes, and saw the door of the 

 church-porch open, and her future husband stand- 

 ing at it as if to reproach her for her delay. She 

 rose and hurried towards him like a timid bird, the 

 victim of a serpent's fascination. 



The look of triumph in the face of Holmes could 

 not be concealed. He led his trembling victim to 

 the altar, and she became his wife. The poor 

 girl was taken away by her husband, while the lad 

 returned to the farm, and, choking with sobs, in- 

 formed his master of what had taken place. I 

 need not attempt to describe the feelings of the 

 suffering father on the occasion, but will return to 

 his still more suffering daughter. 



Phoebe soon became aware that her self-sacrifice 

 had been vain, that instead of fulfilling his pro- 

 mise of shewing kindness to her dear father, 

 Holmes was constantly pressing him for payment 

 of his debt and threatening to arrest him. No- 

 thing indeed but the outcry, which would have 

 been raised had he done so, prevented his consign- 

 ing his father-in-law to a prison. Phoebe heard 

 all this, and found at the same time that she had 

 married a man who was cold, selfish and brutal. 

 Despair took possession of her heart. The fatal 

 blow was struck, and poor Elliot soon had the 

 misery of following his darling child to an untime- 



