Page:Edgar Huntly, or The Sleep Walker.djvu/74

 scheme which had been adopted by us on the preceding evening, a person was selected and commissioned to watch the appearance of Wiatte. The day passed as usual with respect to the lady: in the evening she was surrounded by a few friends. Into this number I was now admitted; Sarsefield and myself made a part of this company. Various topics were discussed with ease and sprightliness: her societies were composed of both sexes, and seemed to have monopolised all the ingenuity and wit that existed in the metropolis.

"After a slight repast the company dispersed. This separation took place earlier than usual, on account of a slight indisposition in Mrs. Lorimer. Sarsefield and I went out together: we took that opportunity of examining our agent; and, receiving no satisfaction from him, we dismissed him for that night, enjoining him to hold himself in readiness for repeating the experiment to-morrow. My friend directed his steps homeward, and I proceeded to execute a commission with which I had charged myself.

"A few days before, a large sum had been deposited in the hands of a banker for the use of my lady: it was the amount of a debt which had lately been recovered, and was lodged here for the purpose of being paid on demand of her or her agents. It was my present business to receive this money: I had deferred the performance of this engagement to so late an hour, on account of certain preliminaries which were necessary to be adjusted.

"Having received this money, I prepared to return home. The inquietude which had been occasioned by Sarsefield's intelligence had not incapacitated me from performing my usual daily occupations: it was a theme to which, at every interval of leisure from business or discourse, I did not fail to return. At those times I employed myself in examining the subject on all sides; in supposing particular emergencies, and delineating the conduct that was proper to be observed on each. My daily thoughts were by no means so fear-inspiring as the meditations of the night had been.

"As soon as I left the banker's door, my meditations fell into this channel: I again reviewed the recent occurrences, and imagined the consequences likely to flow from them.