saw that he had written to me; but that his letters ha been intercepted. I was in despair-but it was too lat

Now did morning visits besiege our hous and my mother thought it right to see every body. started from my seat a hundred times in a mornin from the sudden concussions of the knocker's thunder the rattling of carriages kept my head in a constan state of pain; and the succession of faces, the on impression destroying the other, wore out my min and left no trace behind, like wave propelling wav along and defacing the different impressions on the sea sand. I felt that I cared for nobody, that all were alike, that the same gentle smile, practised civility and hackney'd welcome came from all; that the fiddle faddle of the beaux was odious, and the trifling of the belles was fatiguing. I caught myself making the same answers to all, almost before answer

was

was required. The women eyed me with curiosity: the men viewed me with insipidity. I could have Fetired from the world, for it was irksome to me.

Doricourt now came to town.

We had a string

of engagements, as many cards as would thatch a house, as many quadrille parties, at homes, conversaziones, dejunées, and divertisemens as we could attend in a month. Little was I inclined to go to any of them; but it was deemed proper. Mr. D. said that infamous reports had gone abroad, that he had traced the origin of one of them to Sir Absolute Apathy (so I shall call the western Knight), and that he would sift it to the bottom. He insisted, at the same time, that we should attend Lady Elder's evening party all the world was to be there"All

the world? No! he who was all the world to me could not be there!".

The

The inquiring eye of every female was upon

me. If woman err, who has she most to dread? -If she want a severer doom than even

Woman.

her crime demands, who would pronounce it? Her

own sex; for

lovelier things have mercy shown

"To every failing but their own,

"And every woe a tear can claim,

ઢ

"Except an erring sister's shame."

But strong in my innocence, I met every look with mild endurance, or with indignant repulsion. Some defeated gazers dropt their eye-lid in confusion; others, more schooled in duplicity, converted impertinent curiosity into complaisant smiles, taking an interest in my well being; the older stagers passed from severity into indifference, and endeavoured to appear unconscious that they looked on me, by casting a general would-be unmeaning eye around. But nature is often honester than we wish her to be;

and,

like the half-drilled servant of an embarrassed person of quality, either mutinies and will not lie, or lies so awkwardly, that detection accompanies every word. -Dear Lady- ! I shall never forget her; she sprang forward to meet me, and almost planted me in her bosom. How much goodness! How much sensibility! Her's is no vulgar soul. There is feeling and tenderness, dignity and sentiment, refinement and courtliness in every line which she writes, in every word which she utters. Let those censure her who dare: they had better imitate her.

Then I had a prattling groupe about me, and "Will you dance?" said my

a buz of flatterers.

consin in the Guards, making the word dance as long as my arm, and dragging out his words like a miser at his guineas, as though every one cost him a world, and was too valuable to be thrown away. Yet is he a good creature after all. The mawkish tepidity

tepidity of his manner is only affectation; his hea is in the right place. I was about to refuse; but wa advised not; for I heard that it was rumoured, b my own sex, that I was too much out of spirits t dance, too much in love to mingle with the gay an thoughtless throng. The men too said to each other "it is of no use to ask her, unless you have a duca mantle to offer as your recommendation." speakably ill natured!

How un

I therefore stood up amidst the "how d'ye dos, my love,-how well you look,-how glad I am to see you once more amongst us," of my own sex, and the nods and signs of the other sex, with "Colonel you're a happy man,-glad to see your ladyship in good health and spirits," with many other chit-chat stuff too tedious to mention. Lord L- made his attack on my cousin, whose only answer was, "Do L leave us a little room, and don't talk such

d-d