XXVII.

Nay, lovely Rofa, live for me

He said, and rais'd his vizor high,

And fhew'd that beauteous face, which erft
Had won her heart, and charm'd her eye.

XXVIII.

And could'st thou think, my foul's delight, • That I'd a recreant false one prove ;

Thy virgin innocence betray,

And bafely spurn thy artless love?

XXIX.

No,'twas an arrow's rankling wound

• That caus'd me long to grieve and pine; 'But now reftor'd to health, I hied

• With anxious love, to make thee mine.

XXX.

< Then banish grief, my fairest Rosa,

The Earl of Merrion is my name ;

Yon caftle owns me for its lord,

And thou shalt be its beauteous dame.'

XXXI

XXXI.

Tho' fortune fmil'd on Rofa's fate,

Yet, maidens, ne'er be over kind,

Left you should find, (perhaps too late)
That Hymen is not often blind.

THREE weeks after the departure of Henry, Matilda received a fummons from Mrs. Montague, to attend her in her deffing-room. "Mifs Ofmington," faid fhe, addreffing her with cool civility, "we have received an invitation to spend "fome time at the country-feat of Lord "Kingsland: This houfe is to be shut up "until our return; and I cannot bring a

ftranger, unasked, to his lordfhip's :"however, as I promifed your poor mother "to act towards you as a benefactress, I "here present you with £40.—a woman "who was once an attendant in our family

"and if

you chuse to take them, my carriage is at your service to convey you "this evening to her houfe." This was a thunder ftroke to Matilda.-To excite the pity of Mrs. Montague, fhe knew would be impracticable; and, a fecond time to be thrown, defenceless, on the world, without even the former cheering ray of hope which illumined the dark profpects of her life, was a thought that wrung her heart. She thanked her for the many obligations that her kindness had conferred on her, and fubmitted to her dictatorial arrangement with a melancholy prefage of enfuing diftress.

The evening arrived,-Matilda, after receiving a cold falute from Mrs. Montague, and a ftiff bend from the haughty Julia, prepared to depart; on the stairs she was met by Captain Montague:

" Are

"Are you going away, Offy ?" faid be.She courtfeyed. "Demme, that's all "Julia's doing;" and, without further noticing her, he passed on.

The woman with whom Matilda was now become a refident, was a widow, whofe fole fupport for herself and two children, was the profit arising from her lodging-house She was pleased with the prepoffeffing fweetness of Matilda, whose present fituation, were it not for. the difagreeable reflections of the future, would be much preferable to her late refidence.

She was no longer pained with that dependant miferable gentility, which, from a more frequent admiffion to fuperior fociety, forces comparisons on