Masonic Reminiscences.

citizen ' s daughter , through whose wealth he hoped to clear his deeply encumbered estates , he felt strongly disposed to offer his hand , fortune , and title , to Mary , little dreaming , that for Maurice De Conrcy ' s love , her true heart would not-onl y have given up a coronet , but a crown . Money and a wife , however , he must have , but Mary , at all hazards , he resolves to have too .

" Mary now seldom ventured abroad without De Courcy , who knew his lordship ' s character , and seldom gave him an opportunity of addressing her . Failed in this , he tried the effects of a letter , avowing ' his love in the language of deep passion , yet so cautiously and delicately , as to leave an impression that his intentions were strictly honourable . Mary placed the letter before her motherwith a request that she would at once return it

, with a suitable reply , that her heart and hand were engaged to one , in comparison with whose love and worth , wealth and titles were as nothing , and proudly throbbed Mary ' s pure heart , as in her innocence she believed she was giving a proof of her constancy to De Courcy . % " The return of his lordship ' s love-letterand the ' coolness with which

, his suit was dismissed , pierced his bad heart , and stirred up all the evil passions within Mm ; insulted pride , jealousy and revenge prompted the fiendish notion of getting possession of Mary , even by force . " Shortly after this , on a calm and balmy evening , as the mellow rays of an autumnal sun were shedding their sweet influence over the profuselv

beautiful landscape in that favoured spot , and was blessing with genial beams the rich promise of many a golden field , Mary , with her younger sister , was enjoying the inspiring scene not far from her dwelling , in all the freedom of purity and innocence , when she was suddenly seized by two ruffians , who with rude force hurried her off to a bye road close by , where a vehicle awaited them , in which they placed her , and drove off rapidly towards house the distant

a solitary among hills , a sort of shooting lodge , but occasionally used for less innocent purposes by the roue lord . . _ " Mary ' s nervous system , though strong and ' healthy , was unable to withstand so sudden and unexpected a shock ; she swooned into utter unconsciousness , avid was thus saved from feeling the insult to her maiden pride and purity , from the contact of such degraded ruffians . Her sister

, almost frantic with fright , rushed home to give the alarm . De Courcy had arrived a few moments before . Few and incoherent were the exclamations of the bewildered girl , but quite sufficient to convey to him a full explanation of the horrid plot .

" He took a pair of pistols , which lie carefully loaded , with the calm and stern purpose of desperation he bounded on his horse , and was soon in hot pursuit , and high should be the fence , and broad and deep the river that could make Maurice De Courcy turn aside in that moment of maddening agony . Pale and rigid as marble , he uttered not a word , he scarcely breathedbut the lihtning flash of his dark told of the fierce

, g eye , and fiery conflict within ; who could paint flic torture of his frenzied brain , when he thought of his first , his only love , in the rude hands of ruffians , on her way to the spoiler ; his own betrothed Maiy , with whom from childhood , hand in hand , he roamed to cull the wild flowers in the o- reen wood ,