repose? No, mother, I never can-I never will and here, in the face of heaven, and to you, I swear, I never will be my brother's rival in the heart of my cousin; or, in other words, I never will offer a heart nor a hand to Emma that aims a blow to strike a bosom far dearer than my own-the loved offspring of my mother! Whatever be my destiny, I will bear it manfully; nor ever will I murmur or repine, however hard, however painful I may find it, if my absence can restore peace to a dear brother's heart; and if by me alone that peace can be preserved, I will preserve it by an eternal resignation of Emma! If mine she could be, even at this moment, mine she should not be by the loss of William's promised happiness—no, never, mother,—I have sworn, and may this vow be registered in heaven!"

Hold, dearest Tanjore!" cried Mrs. Trelawney; "make no rash vows nor promises, I implore you, which both distress and terrify me; you are too young, my child, to understand the nature of them, nor can you tell what the distance of time may produce. Emma may not always think as she does now, neither may William; and it is also as likely that you may change. You are all young enough to gain a lesson by experience, and heaven grant that it may never be a bitter one. Meanwhile, I would give you a caution not to reveal the nature of your sentiments to any one, not even to your father; for I am persuaded that he will never converse with you on such a subject, unless there was some particular necessity for his so doing. There never was a man so tenacious and delicate of wounding the feelings of others as your father. Should you behold your cousin before

her departure for Kenilworth, which will take place in a few days, let your attention towards her be so slight as not to occasion her any embarrassment; and with your brother avoid all conversation that leads to the subject of Emma. Thus, my dear boy, we may preserve an appearance of tranquillity, if we have it not, and in this deception we may readily be excused."

Tanjore promised faithfully to obey his mother's injunctions, and felt his mind considerably relieved by having unburthened his thoughts to that tender and affectionate parent, in whose maternal prudence he knew that he could safely confide, and faithfully repose the sentiments of his heart; and they separated only just in time to dress for dinner, at which both Dr. Starmer and Lord Wyndham were expected. His Lordship, indeed, had seldom been a day absent from Berkeley Square during the whole time of Emma's indisposition, and his kind attentions and friendly society were most gratefully felt and received by the whole family, and even by the fair invalid herself, with whom he had several times conversed; and the last time he beheld her, he very pleasantly suggested a visit to the Hermitage (the subject being introduced to Emma as if by mere accident,) his Lordship very jocosely smiling, while he uttered,

“ "Suppose now, Miss Bradbury, that I was actually to run away with you and Alexina, one of these fine clear mornings, and whisk you down to Kenilworth? Dr. Starmer has prescribed change of air for you, and what can be so delightful and so pure as that in which you was born ?"

66

Ah, my Lord, and it is that in which my mother

inhaled her first breath, and left her last sigh," cried Emma; "and it is to me more dear than any other spot in the whole created world besides. I am sure, if my dear aunt would permit me to go there, I should prefer it to any where else, and especially if dear Alexina goes with me. I should soon get well again, without the help of Dr. Starmer. One sight of dear Kenilworth would so revive me!-we should have such delightful walks, should not we, Alexina?"

"So we should, dear Emma," answered Alexina; "I wish his Lordship could persuade mamma to let us go.'

"Ah! do, my Lord," cried Emma, now, for the first time, entering into the spirit of familiar conversation; you have already been so kind, that if you will only add a little more to the debt of obligation I owe you, I will repay it all when I am quite well again. You know what I promised your Lordship?"

"And indeed I shall not forget to remind you of it, my sweet Emma, when occasion shall require the performance of it," exclaimed his Lordship, rejoiced that this lovely girl had now an appearance of convalescence more promising than he had seen for many days.

"Upon my word, Emma," cried Miss Trelawney, laughing, "I shall take you to task if you thus give promises to Lord Wyndham, without making me a party in the business."

"Am I at liberty to tell her, my Lord?" cried Emma; “for you perceive that she is actually dying with curiosity to know."

“Oh, by all means, Miss Bradbury, if you wish it," answered his Lordship, colouring, however, deeply.

"No, no, Emma, I can guess what it is," cried Miss Trelawney, and I positively wont hear it."

66 Do, Miss Bradbury, tell her all about it," rejoined Lord Wyndham.

"I will run away if she does," retorted Miss Trelawney.

"Because she is aware that I cannot now run after her, my Lord," said Emma; "but she will not do this when I perform my promise to your Lordship, and appear, on a certain occasion, in the character of a bridemaid,-Will you, Alley ?"

The secret was now out, and Emma very cheerfully joined in the laugh against her cousin; and Lord Wyndham, leaving them together, made the best of his way down to the drawing-room, which he entered with a smiling air, exclaiming,

"I insist, good folks, that you will this evening honor me with a new title-Doctor Wyndham, at your service, if you please; for, in the first place, I must inform you that I have this moment, left Miss Bradbury laughing heartily, with her cousin, at some little pleasantries that have passed between us; and, in the next, I am deputed by her to obtain permission of Mrs. Trelawney to pay a visit to Kenilworth. I assure you she seems excessively delighted at the thought of the excursion, and, instead of refusing to accompany me and Alexina to her aunt Clarendale's, proposed that I should immediately get a passport from Mr. and Mrs. Trelawney. Now then, Doctor, what do you think of your patient?"

"Think! your Lordship," cried Dr. Starmer; "why, I think that you have performed wonders,

and I will very readily give you up my place in the College of Physicians."

"Oh, my dear Lord, how excessively do I feel obliged to you," cried Mrs. Trelawney, in a tone of the most fascinating sweetness; " and have you really prevailed on my dear girl to go down to Mary's? Well, you have indeed done wonders, for this morning I was almost afraid to ask her. And you think she is better, Wyndham?-Heaven bless her, how I shall delight to hear her converse with us all again."

“But that I shall positively prohibit a repetition of to-night, my dear Madam," cried Dr. Starmer; "we must not exhaust her spirits too suddenly, as they will presently be as suddenly depressed. I will just go and give her a peep, bid her good night, and order her to bed immediately; and while I am major domo here, you know, my power in the castle prevails."

Oh, you shall do what you please, my good Doctor," cried Mrs. Trelawney, smiling, and immediately rose to accompany him to the apartment of her lovely niece, her heart bounding with the most transporting hopes of Emma's speedy restoration to health, which was very likely to be the case, while her mind continued to be amused by any subject but one, and that was, the subject of poor William's ardent attachment towards her; and which, since the commencement of her indisposition, had never once been breathed into her ear in any degree to agitate her feelings; and while Emma was free from the importunities of William on this subject, it was very evidently perceptible that she hourly recovered: