Page:Life and transactions of Mrs. Jane Shore (2).pdf/20

 20 her. At length her eyes fell full upon the object of their search, whose appearance was too deeply rooted in her mind to escape then. She saw him merely, and but for a moment. Her vision again lost its power ; and before she recovered, the regiment and the crowd were far advanced before her. With a palpitating heart she followed it; and when it had entered the barrack gates, and the last beat of the drum and huzza of the crowd were over, she ventured forward, and with a thinid eye, looked along the splended area of the Glas- gow infantry barracks. It was some time before she observed Allan, who was standing at the further ex- tremity. A chilly damp came over her, as she marked that he was conversing with a young woman. All the doubts and fears, that at times had crossed her mind, of Barclay being engaged, were by this awakened. She leaned herself against the gate ; nor durst she for some time confirm by another glance, what she had seen, an when at length she ventured to lift her eyes, lie was gone! She now felt, for the first time, her fortitude waver, and hurrying into a house of entertainment op- posite the barracks, asked for a small apartment, which she had no sooner entered than she flung herself upon a chair and wept bitterly. The landlady of the house did not leave her long to this indulgence, but presently standing before her, startled her by enquiring what her pleasure was. “Any thing," was the poor girl's reply, " any refreshment you have. With a tedious and un- listened to proem, the landlady landed in a slight re- fection, and left the girl again to herself. A much different company took up the attention of the loquacious hostess. It was four or five of the soldiers who were enjoying themselves in an apartment immedi- ately adjoining that of Mariette's. A slight wooder partition divided the rooms; and it was impossible-in- trested even as Mariette was in her own thoughts--not to hear the conversation that passed. One voice immedi- ately awakened her attention—a voice as familiar and as endeared to her as her mother's--the voice of Alan