“Your confidence shall not be abused,” said Glenn; and to prove that I am not averse to an exchange of secrets, if you will listen to my recital, I will endeavour briefly to give you a sketch of my history.”

“I will listen attentively, my young friend, even were it as sad a tale as mine, which can hardly be the case,” said Roughgrove, drawing his chair close to Glenn’s side, and placing more fuel on the fire.

“Would to Heaven it had not been!” said Glenn, after reclining his head on his hands a few minutes, and recalling transactions which he could have wished to be blotted from his memory for ever.  “I am a native of New York,” he continued, heaving a sigh and folding his arms, “and was left an orphan at a very early age.  My father was once reputed one of the wealthiest merchants in Broadway; but repeated and enormous losses, necessarily inexplicable to one of my age, suddenly reduced him to comparative poverty.  Neither he nor my mother survived the blow many months, and before I was ten years old, I was left (with the exception of an uncle in Philadelphia) alone in the world, possessed of only a few hundred dollars.  My uncle placed me with an eminent physician, who had been my father’s friend, after my education was completed.  He told me that he was rich, and would see that I should not suffer for means until I had acquired a profession, which, with energy and diligence, would enable me to procure an honourable support.  But he informed me that he had a family of his own, and that I must not depend upon his assistance further than to accomplish a profession.

“It was during my studies, and when about seventeen years old, that my misfortunes began.  My preceptor had another student, named Henry Wold, several years my senior, whose parents were wealthy.  Wold and I entertained the highest esteem for each other.  But our circumstances being different, I could not indulge in all the excesses of extravagance that he did, but made better progress in my studies.  He attended all the gay parties and fashionable places of amusement, while I seldom spent an evening from home.  He was tall, manly, and possessed of regular and beautiful features—­these, with his unlimited wealth, made him a welcome guest in every circle, and extremely popular with the ladies.

“One Sabbath morning, while sitting in church, (which I attended regularly,) I was struck with the appearance of a stranger in an opposite pew across the aisle that belonged to a family with whom I was on the most intimate terms.  The stranger was the most beautiful young lady I ever beheld.  Dark, languishing eyes, glossy ringlets, pale, smooth forehead—­oh!  I will not describe her—­let it suffice that she was an angel in my eyes!  It was impossible to remove my gaze from her, and I fancied that she sometimes returned an approving glance.  Before the service was over, I was delighted to observe that she whispered something to Mrs. Arras, (the name of