Hannah returned to the cottage undecided whether to inform her mistress that, in the prisoner she had recognized the villain who had given Miss Ella such a fright. She gave an animated account of the trial, and the mode of punishment recommended by herself, at which the lady laughed heartily; but when the honest girl, growing warm by the interest she excited proceeded to say, "and who, ma'am, do you think the villian was, but the likes of him who intruded hisself by appearing befere yees like a ghost at the window, and not ringing the door-bell, like a dacent man." The lady clasped her hands, and suddenly left the room.
Presently. Hannah, with a flash of joy illuminating her whole face, followed. She knocked softly at the mistress's room. There was no reply. She gently opened the door, and found the distressed mother upon her knees.
At so unusual an interruption, the lady turned her woe-stricken face toward the door.
"I've good news for ye, ma'am," exclaimed Hannah; "and so I made bowld to intrude. The prisoner's name is Amos Harding, and not Haven, at all. So don't be bothering your dear heart about the vile scoundrel."
It was indeed a relief to know that the name of Haven would not be associated with such villainy; but still the widowed mother's heart was heavy. Before the close of the day, she found a sympathizing friend and adviser in Mr. Cowles, who readily accompanied her to the prisoner, to make one more appeal to him to abandon his evil ways.
This effort, like the preceding ones of Mr. Greyson and Captain Monroe, proved wholly unavailing. Indeed, he seemed determined to render himself as loathsome to his mother as possible. She plead with him by the memory of his father, by the compassionate love of the Saviour, who (vile as he was) would pardon and sanctify him. But he laughed her to scorn. As soon as she found that her prayers and entreaties were useless, she arose at once to leave him, when he poured out such a strain of profanity and lewdness that she was ready to sink to the floor.
Before the close of another week, the pleasant cottage, which had sheltered her in her widowhood, was let for a year; and she, with Ella and the faithful Hannah, had gone to live in the country.