The advice was not thrown away on the young lady, though with an instinctive delicacy she did not follow it literally.  Instead of addressing Arundel directly, she wrote to a female friend, and communicated the change in her circumstances, and the relenting of her deceased father, rightly judging that the information would not long remain unknown to her lover.  She did this without the knowledge of Spikeman, else it is probable that the letter would never have reached its destination.  The event answered her expectations, and with the arrival of the first ship after her epistle was received, she had the gratification of greeting Arundel.  But what was her astonishment, when, upon the demand of the young man that her guardian should carry into effect the wishes of his deceased friend, Spikeman denied that any obligation was imposed upon him.  He would not admit that there had been any change of opinion in the dying man, but insisted, on the contrary, that he had remained steadfast in his purpose to the last.  He affected surprise at the declarations of Eveline, and while not pretending to say what might have taken place in his absence, persisted in asserting that nothing of the kind had occurred in his presence.  The young lady was surely in error.  The bewilderment occasioned by excessive grief on account of her father’s condition, and partiality for her lover, had caused her to mistake the meaning of the former.  He could not, however much desirous to please his ward, violate the instructions of his deceased friend.

The remonstrances of Arundel, and gentle expostulations and entreaties of Eveline, were without effect; and when once the young man, in a moment of anger, threatened Spikeman with an appeal to justice and punishment by the government in England, the latter grimly sneered at his threats, and bade him beware lest he himself might be sent, as a malcontent, out of the country.  It was, indeed, far more probable that such would be the result of Arundel’s persistency, than that he should succeed in carrying off his mistress; and, blinded as he was by love, he could not conceal from himself the danger.  To this was to be added another peril, which the Assistant, in one of their conversations, had hinted at, and of which we have also made mention, viz:  that he might incur the punishment provided for those who paid court to maidens without the consent of the guardian or magistrate.

But the young couple had, besides Prudence, a powerful friend, Whose kind heart pitied their misfortunes, and by whose means, assisted by the faithful serving-maid, they had many stolen meetings, unknown to their persecutor, and this was no other than dame Spikeman herself.  Destitute of children, she had been early attracted by the beautiful orphan, for whom she soon learned to feel the affection of a mother.  Into her tender bosom the unprotected girl poured her griefs, and always met with sympathy and good counsel.  At first, the good dame attempted to alter the determination