LONG before Mr Blair awoke next morning, Captain Campbell had again quitted the house of Uigness, nor did he again return thither until nearly two days had elapsed.

The truth is, that no man's mind ever underwent a more sudden and remarkable change than his had done, in consequence of the events which have already been narrated. He had originally married Charlotte merely because he admired her beautiful person, and pitied her for the hard treatment she had received at the hands of young Arden; but after the lapse of a short time, the facility with which she had hearkened to his own addresses, came to be thought of by him in a manner of which there have been, and, it is to be feared, at all times will be, but too many examples among our ungenerous sex, and the very circumstances which had, at first, afforded gratification to his vanity, furnished, in the sequel, food to that suspicious and jealous temper by which his character, like that of very many vain men, was distinguished. In short, ere they had lived together for many months in their Highland solitude, they had mutually become very sensible to their unfitness for each other: but it must be admitted, that while Charlotte controlled her high spirit, and strove to the utmost to appear an affectionate wife, Mr Campbell had either less pride or less art, and very soon gave up any attempt to conceal his real sentiments. When they left Scotland, and mingled again in the world, Charlotte's naturally lively disposition led her to make up to herself, by a large participation in all the pleasures of social life, for the long restraint and solitude of her residence with her husband at Uigness; while he, bringing with him into the open scenes of life all that suspiciousness which had been too well nursed in his retirement, watched every ebullition of her thoughtless glee and vivacity with an eye of predetermined evil, and caused her to chequer her hours of gaiety by many bitter tears shed in moments of secrecy. Their mutual dislike was at last brought to a point, which rendered it next to impossible for them to remain any longer together, by some circumstances trivial enough in themselves, and with the relation of which I shall not therefore fatigue the reader's patience.