ts feelings awakened, even by tones such as these."

There was nothing of austerity in this ; on the contrary, there was so much sweetness mingled with the melancholy which shaded his countenance, that even Lady Emily was touched, and for a moment silent. The entrance of Mrs. Lennox relieved her from her embarrassment. flew towards her, and taking her hand,

She

My dear Mrs. Lennox, I feel very much as if I were come here in the capacity of an executioner ;-no, not exactly that, but rather a sort of constable or bailiff;-for I am come on the part of Lady Juliana Douglas, to summon you to surrender the person of her well-beloved daughter, to be disposed of as she in her wisdom may think fit."

"Not to day, surely," cried Mrs. Lennox in alarm; "to-morrow"

My orders are peremptory-the suit is pressing," with a significant smile to Ma

ry;

"this day-oh, ye hours!" looking at a time piece," this very minute, come Mary-are you ready-cap-a-pee?"

Atanother time Mary would have thought only of the regrets of her venerable friend at parting with her; but now she felt only her own impatience to be gone, and she hastily quitted the room to prepare for her departure.

On returning to it, Colonel Lennox advanced to meet her, evidently desirous of saying something, yet labouring under great embarrassment.

"Were it not too selfish and presump. tuous," said he, while his heightened colour spoke his confusion, " I would venture to express a hope that your absence will not be very long from my poor mother.”

Mary pretended to be very busy collecting her work, drawings, &c. which lay scattered about, and merely bent her head in acknowledgment. Colonel Lennox proceeded

"I am aware of the sacrifice it must be to such as Miss Douglas, to devote her time and talents to the comforting of the blind and desolate; and I cannot express-she cannot conceive-the gratitude-the respect the admiration, with which my heart is filled at such proofs of noble disinterested benevolence on her part."

Had Mary raised her eyes to those that vainly sought to meet her's, she would there have read all, and more than had been expressed; but she could only think, “ he has been entreated to love!" and at that humiliating idea, she bent her head still lower to hide the colour that dyed her cheek to an almost painful degree, while a sense of suffocation at her throat prevented her disclaiming, as she wished to do, the merit of any sacrifice. Some sketches of Lochmarlie lay upon a table, at which she had been drawing the day before; they had ever been precious in her sight till now; but they only excited feelings of mortification, as

she recollected having taken them from her portefeuille, at Mrs. Lennox's request to shew to her son.

"This was part of the parade by which I was to win him," thought she with bitterness; and scarcely conscious of what she did, she crushed them together, and threw them into the fire. Then hastily advan cing to Mrs. Lennox, she tried to bid her farewell; but, as she thought it was for the last time, tears of tenderness as well as pride stood in her eyes.

"God bless you, my dear child!" said the unsuspecting Mrs. Lennox, as she held her in her arms. "And God will bless you in his way though his ways are not as our way—though

ways. I cannot urge you to return to this dreary abode. But oh, Mary! think sometimes in your gaiety, that when you do come, you bring gladness to a mournful heart, and lighten eyes that never see the

sun!"

Mary too much affected to reply, could only wring the hand of her venerable friend, as she tore herself from her embrace, and followed Lady Emily to the carriage. For some time they proceeded in silence. Mary dreaded to encounter her cousin's eyes, which she was aware were fixed upon her with more than their usual scrutiny. She therefore kept her's steadily employed in surveying the well-known objects the road presented. At length her Ladyship began in a grave tone.

"You appear to have had very stormy weather at Rose Hall?"

66

Very much so,” replied Mary, without knowing very well what she said.

"And we have had nothing but calms and sun-shine at Beech Park. Is not that strange ?"

Very singular indeed."

"I left the barometer very high-not quite at settled calm-that would be too