“‘Thank you! thank you, darling! enough on that branch of the subject. Let us now discuss another. Shall we let Harry into our secrets and ask his assistance?’
“‘No, indeed, we must not, because his love for Viola would cause his heart to control his brain, and endanger our plans. He has quieted down since his late troubles, and it is better to let him alone. The breach between him and Viola will heal itself when she is cleared.’
“‘Be it so, then; you are the judge.’
“‘You must not lose sight of our Vicksburg witness; it would be advisable to write to him immediately. That evidence I consider the most important of all.’
“‘I must confess I cannot see its application to Viola’s case; but you may depend on me for having the witness here when the trial comes on.’
“‘You shall be posted as to its application in due time. There are two individuals in this city who are mounted on very high horses, riding to their fate. They are enjoying the ride just now, unconscious of the precipice toward which they are hastening. They are reveling in their fancied security, little dreaming of the mine soon to be sprung under their feet.’
“‘One of them is the writer of this letter—the other the one to whom it was directed. Am I not correct in that guess, Lottie?’
“‘You are correct.’
“‘Well, if anybody but my darling had told me this, I would not have believed a word of it. This business is going to cause some people’s fine castles to come toppling topsy-turvey down; and great will be the fall thereof.’
“‘It won’t be the first instance where a man was hung on the gallows he had built for another. You may have heard of a man who erected a gallows fifty cubits high, on which he intended to hang his neighbor; but the spectators were no doubt surprised, one morning, when they saw the body of the builder dangling from his own gallows.’