Page:Edgar Huntly, or The Sleep Walker.djvu/55

 bitter retribution in the conduct of their son: he was the darling and stay of an ancient and illustrious house; but his actions reflected nothing but disgrace upon his ancestry, and threatened to bring the honours of their line to a period in his person. At their death the bulk of their patrimony devolved upon him. This he speedily consumed in gaming and riot: from splendid, he descended to meaner vices. The efforts of his sister to recall him to virtue were unintermitted and fruitless: her affection for him he converted into a means of prolonging his selfish gratifications. She decided for the best; it was no argument of weakness that she was so frequently deceived: if she had judged truly of her brother, she would have judged not only without example, but in opposition to the general experience of mankind. But she was not to be for ever deceived: her tenderness was subservient to justice; and when his vices had led him from the gaming—table to the highway—when seized at length by the ministers of law-when convicted and sentenced to transportation, her intercession was solicited; when all the world knew that pardon would readily be granted to a supplicant of her rank, fortune, and character—when the criminal himself, his kindred, his friends, and even indifferent persons, implored her interference, her justice was inflexible: she knew full well the incurableness of his depravity; that banishment was the mildest destiny that would befall him; that estrangement from ancient haunts and associates was the condition from which his true friends had least to fear.

"Finding entreaties unavailing, the wretch delivered himself to the suggestions of his malice, and he vowed to be bloodily revenged on her inflexibility. The sentence was executed. That character must indeed be monstrous from which the execution of such threats was to be dreaded. The event sufficiently showed that our fears on this head were well grounded: this event, however, was at a great distance. It was reported that the felons, of whom he was one, mutinied on board the ship in which they had been embarked: in the affray that succeeded, it was said that he was killed.