fortnight, of a disorder which especially affected the nerves; and quiet, as Dr. Boreham declared, was indispensably necessary for her recovery. So the

servants wore list shoes, and the knocker was tied up, and the street in front of number four was covered with straw.

In the mean while, the invalid derived great comfort from the unremitting attentions of her friends and acquaintance; but she was particularly gratified by the constant kind inquiries of Mr. Tweedy, the new lodger, who occupied the apartments immediately over her head.

"If you please, ma'am," said Mary, for the hundredth time, "it's Mr. Tweedy's compliments, and begs to know if you feel any better?"

"I am infinitely obliged to Mr. Tweedy, I'm sure," whispered the sufferer,-" I am a leetle easier— with my best thanks and compliments."

Now, Miss Hopkinson was a spinster lady of a certain age, and she was not a little flattered by the uncommon interest the gentleman above stairs seemed to take in her state of health. She could not help recollecting that the new lodger and a very smart new cap had entered the house on the same day.— She had fortunately worn the novel article on her

accidental encounter with the stranger; and, as she used to say, a great deal depended on first impressions. "What a very nice gentleman!" remarked the nurse, as Mary closed the bed-room door.

"What an uncommon nice man!" cried Miss Filby, an old familiar gossip, who had come to cheer up the invalid with all the scandal of the neighbourhood.

"And he will send, ma'am," said the nurse to the visitor, "to ask after us a matter of five or six times in a day."

"It is really extraordinary," said Miss Filby, "and especially in quite a stranger!"

"No, not quite," whispered the invalid. "I met him twice upon the stairs."

"Indeed!" said Miss Filby. "It's like a little romance. Who knows what may come of it? I have known as sudden things come to pass before now!"

"There is summut in it surely," said the nurse; "I only wish, ma'am, you could hear how warm and pressing he is in asking after her, whoever comes in There was this morning, on the landing

his way.

'Nurse,' says he, quite earnest-like,-'nurse, do tell me how she is.' 'Why then, sir,' says I, 'she is as well as can be expected.' 'Ah!' said he, 'that's the old answer, but it won't satisfy me. Is she better or worse?' 'Well then, sir,' says I, 'she's much the same. Ah,' says he, fetching sich a long-winded sigh, 'there's where it is. She may linger in that way for months.' 'Let's hope not,' says I. 'You'll be pleased to hear as how she's going to try to eat a bit o' chicking.' 'Chicking!' says he, saving your presence, ma'am,-chicking be dd to you know where-it's her nerves, nurse, her nerves, how are her nerves?' 6 To be sure, sir,' says I, 'them's her weak pints, but Dr. Boreham do say, provided they're kept quiet, and not played upon, they'll come round agin in time.' 'Yes,' says he, 'in time, that's the divil on it;' and you can't think how feeling he said it. What a weary time,' says he, 'she have been!""

"Well, upon my word!" exclaimed Miss Filby, "these are very like love symptoms indeed! How