Masonic Reminiscences.

or from the sunny hill count the white sails on the smooth blue ocean . Mary , who was soon to be his own , his treasured wife , torn from him ; all his hopes of earthly bliss now depending on the fleetness of his steed , and the strength of his arm , but he neither fears nor falters , God and the right are with him . Speed and guard him on his holy way , ye gentle spirits of love , and truth , and purity .

" He gallops towards a neighbouring hill which commanded a view of the country round , and from its summit distinctly saw the vehicle , and a man on horseback beside it , whom he had no difficulty in recognizing . No ; v for the struggle of life and death , and what was to him of more value than either , the salvation of the honour of his chosen bride ; . he must overtake them ere they reach the hideous den , where many an innocent victim

had been sacrificed , before . His gallant steed answers his urgent efforts as if conscious of the glorious chase ; he gains on them at every stride ; they now see him , and redouble their exertions , but Maurice ' s foaming steed is closing on them fast , they are within a hundred yards of the lodge , when he calls on them , pistol in hand , to stand ; he is now within shot ; his lordship turns round , glaring the most deadly vengeance , draws a pistol and

fires . Maurice is hit , but feels it not ; he fires in turn ; his lordship ' s hand falls by his side , and before he could draw a second pistol , is prostrate on the ground from a blow of Maurice ' s discharged p istol . The two miscreants fled for their lives , and the gallant De Courcy folded in his arms the insensible form of his lovely Mary . " For many days she scarce shewed signs of lifeand when returning :

, life and health again reanimated her peerless form , alas ! the soul was gone ,. ' the delicate web of thought was tangled , ' she recognized no beloved face .. To De Courcy she would cling as if attracted by some irresistible and innate sympathy , but still she knew him not , and long ere the intellectual light shone out again from Mary ' s eyes , Maurice De Courcy , her deliverer ,, was a convicted felon .

" The malevolence of the disappointed profligate , adopted a demoniac form of revenge ; he had poor Do Courcy arrested on a charge of robbery , and attempt to murder . On the testimony of suborned and perjured witnesses , an over credulous jury brought in a verdict of guilty . Maurice had no evidence to produce but Mary , and the sad darkness of mental night still spread its melancholy shadow o ' er the once bright intelligence

of that gentle being . Sentence of death was recorded against him . Maurice spoke for several hours , and at the conclusion of his address there was not a shadow of doubt in the mind of any present as to his innocence . The forms of law must , however , be gone through , and Maurice was committed to prison to await the issue of the strong recommendation to mercy which the judge promised to urge on the government .

"But life or death was now of little consequence to Maurice ; ho felt himself a disgraced and ruined man ; he became reckless and formed the desperate resolve of escaping from prison ; the officials were suspected of conniving at his escape , and it was supposed that he and his faithful Mary fled to America , but the consciousness of his innocence , the sense of his grievous wrongs working on his wounded pride , and acute sensibilities ,