Elizabeth's  garden  was  safe  from  intrusion,  and  he  had
watched  in  vain  for  Marcy  to  go  out  unprotected  by  the
Quakeress.  Her  face  and  mature  figure  dazzled  him.
The  once  slender  girl  was  now  a  superb  woman.  The
longer  he  looked,  the  stronger  his  unruly  passions
burned  throughout  his  countenance.  Without  shame  he
hastened  to  entreat  for  pardon.
"The  child  is  mine,"  he  cried,  "ours.  Have  we  not
both  suffered  enough?  The  day  for  foolish  fear  and  sanc
timonious  behavior  is  over.  Let  us  go  away  from  this
accursed  town  and  live  as  the  Lord  intended."  He  fin
ished  excitedly,  and  gazed  eagerly  into  Marcy 's  face.
The  awful  proposal  brought  her  to  her  senses.  She
trembled  in  every  limb,  almost  ready  to  fall  to  the  ground
with  remorse.  A  momentary  longing  for  the  thing  she
could  never  have  had  sent  the  blood  to  her  cheeks;  but
now  all  the  color  faded  away.  Pale  and  smitten  with  the
knowledge  of  her  still  unconquered  nature,  she  caught
her  boy  fiercely  from  his  father's  arms.
"Go!  go!"  she  cried.  'Thou  hast  saved  my  child  and
I  will  ask  God  to  forgive  thy  wickedness.  In  mercy
molest  me  no  more."


THE  BROAD  AISLE.  215


CHAPTER  XXII.
AN  eager  crowd  had  gathered  in  the  street.  People
gazed  from  open  doors  and  flocked  from  all  directions.
A  magnetic  current  appeared  to  have  excited  the  village.
