Almost by return of post arrived a furiously complimentary epistle in acknowledgment, which made us laugh very heartily.

"There are three good lines*," said Lord Byron," in Mago's speech, which, may be "thus translated:

"Yet, thing of dust!

Man strives to climb the earth in his ambition, Till death, the monitor that flatters not,

Points to the grave, where all his hopes are laid."

"What do you think of Ada ?" said he, looking earnestly at his daughter's miniature, that hung by the side of his writing

*

Ugo Foscolo afterwards took them for his

motto.

table. "They tell me she is like me-but "she has her mother's eyes.

"It is very odd that my mother was an 66 only child;-I am an only child; my wife “is an only child; and Ada is an only child. "It is a singular coincidence; that is the least "that can be said of it. I can't help thinking "it was destined to be so; and perhaps it is "best. I was once anxious for a son; but, "after our separation, was glad to have had 66 a daughter; for it would have distressed 66 me too much to have taken him away 66 Lady Byron, and I could not have trusted "her with a son's education. I have no

from

"idea of boys being brought up by mothers. "I suffered too much from that myself: and "then, wandering about the world as I do, "I could not take proper care of a child; "otherwise I should not have left Allegra,

"poor little thing!* at Ravenna. She has "been a great resource to me, though I am "not so fond of her as of Ada; and yet I 66 mean to make their fortunes equal-there "will be enough for them both. I have de"sired in my will that Allegra shall not 66 marry an Englishman. The Irish and "Scotch make better husbands than we do. "You will think it was an odd fancy, but

"I was not in the best of humours with my

66

countrymen at that moment

"the reason.

you know I am told that Ada is a little

"termagant; I hope not. I shall write to

66

66

my sister to know if this is the case: per

haps I am wrong in letting Lady Byron

* She appears to be the Leila of his Don Juan: "Poor little thing! She was as fair as docile, And with that gentle, serious character

Don Juan, Canto X. Stanza 52.

"have entirely her own way in her educa❝tion. I hear that my name is not men"tioned in her presence; that a green cur"tain is always kept over my portrait, as "over something forbidden; and that she "is not to know that she has a father, till "she comes of age. Of course she will be

taught to hate me; she will be brought up

"to it. Lady Byron is conscious of all this, " and is afraid that I shall some day carry "off her daughter by stealth or force. I 66 might claim her of the Chancellor, with

66

out having recourse to either one or the "other. But I had rather be unhappy my"self, than make her mother so; probably "I shall never see her again."

Here he opened his writing-desk, and shewed me some hair, which he told me was his child's.

During our drive and ride this evening he declined our usual amusement of pistol-firing, without assigning a cause. He hardly spoke

a word during the first half-hour, and it was evident that something weighed heavily on his mind. There was a sacredness in his

1

melancholy that I dared not interrupt. length he said:

ין

At

"This is Ada's birthday, and might have "been the happiest day of my life as it " is He stopped, seemingly ashamed of having betrayed his feelings. He tried in vain to rally his spirits by turning the conversation; but he created a laugh in which he could not join, and soon relapsed into his former reverie. It lasted till we came within a mile of the Argine gate. There our silence was all at once interrupted by shrieks that seemed to proceed from a