Emily Moreland, or, The maid of the valley . spair and ruin, andstill Marian believed him; but he departed again forCambridge, without making any positive arrange-ments for the event, which he yet talked of as certainto take place; and Marian was left to the misery ofher own self-reproaches, and the dread of a discoveryby her injured and deceived parents. It was these feelings which overwhelmed her, whenher father casually mentioned the arrival of De Car-donnels relatives from India; but a still more ago-nising discovery awaited her. She found that shewas likely to bring into the world a pledg
Emily Moreland, or, The maid of the valley . spair and ruin, andstill Marian believed him; but he departed again forCambridge, without making any positive arrange-ments for the event, which he yet talked of as certainto take place; and Marian was left to the misery ofher own self-reproaches, and the dread of a discoveryby her injured and deceived parents. It was these feelings which overwhelmed her, whenher father casually mentioned the arrival of De Car-donnels relatives from India; but a still more ago-nising discovery awaited her. She found that shewas likely to bring into the world a pledge of hershame; and, overcome with terror, she wrote to herbetrayer to come and save her from distraction, byimmediately fulfilling his promise. A plan for her elopement was immediately con-certed by Reginald, who waited a few miles off, whilehis servant carried it into effect; and, in the dead ofthe night, Marian, with a beating heart and trem-bling steps, crossed the humble threshold of thatdwelling, which ehe was doomed ncvfr to ^^irrjhr, IlM. EMILY M()iU:l-A Nl). 40 V^hat will not woman wiien she love&? Yet lost, alas, who can restore her. She lifts the latch, the wicket moves— And now the world is all before hei ! Reginalds soothina;; assurances, his protestationsof eternal love, and the prospects he held forth, thata short time would see her restored to the arms of herparents, freed from all reproach— for who would dareaffix a stain upon the name of his wife—graduallydispelled the violent agitation she ffelt; yet Mariancould not banish the tortures of self-reproach, whenshe pictured to herself the terror and consternationof her parents when they should discover her absence,which she had not attempted to explain, lest, asReginald had suggested, some clue might be afforded,and they might be traced, before that ceremony,which was to remove all her shame and terror, couldbe performed. For the first two days, while they were still on theroad, Reginald talked in
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