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284 his real intentions, which were to avail himself of the opportunity offered by his cousin Sir Arthur Melliphant's estate in Wales, for the double purpose of screening himself from the laws of his country, and of frequenting a neighbourhood inhabited by Rosilia, who had made upon him so singular and fatal an impression. Tormented by the fire of lawless love, and terrified by the dread of being confined within a noxious prison for life, his soul became as it were the habitation of demons, starting at every shadow, and supposing that every one who accidentally crossed his path was a bailiff laying snares to entrap him. He rarely permitted himself to leave the close shelter given by some small, obscure apartments in his cousin's spacious and elegant mansion, determined there to live a voluntary prisoner until circumstances might occur to favour the execution of a plot he had formed to obtain Rosilia, and secrete her in the mansion of Sir Arthur, and afterwards to fly with her to another kingdom.

A thousand schemes were suggested to him for the accomplishment of such a project, but a thousand times were they rejected as impracticable; until at length a report circulated around the neighbourhood reached his ear also, that General De Brooke was in want of a male servant, who as occasion required might act as coachman. Perfectly well acquainted with a young man in the service of Sir Arthur, of a bold and enterprising temper, whom upon many occasions he had found very useful to himself, it