that could be suggested to a delicate mind. She had heard herself recommended to the love of a man who was indifferent to her. Could there be such a humiliation-such a degradation? Colonel Lennox's embarrassment was scarcely less; but his mother saw not the mischief she had done, and she continued to speak without his having the power to interrupt her. But her words fell unheeded on Mary's ear-she could hear nothing but what she had already heard. Colonel Lennox rose and respectfully placed a chair for her, but the action was unnoticed-she saw only herself a suppliant for his love; and, insensible to every thing but her own feelings, she turned and hastily quitted the room without uttering a syllable. To fly from Rose Hall, never again to enter it, was her first resolution; yet how was she to do so without coming to an explanation, worse even than the cause itself; for she had that very morning yield

ed to the solicitations of Mrs. Lennox, and consented to remain till the following day.

"Oh!" thought she, as the scalding tears

of shame, for the first time, dropped from her eyes, "what a situation am I placed in! To continue to live under the same roof with the man whom I have heard solicited to love me; and how mean-how despicable must I appear in his eyes-thus offered -rejected! How shall I ever be able to convince him that I care not for his lovethat I wished it not-that I would refuse, scorn it to-morrow were it offered to me. Oh! could I but tell him so; but he must ever remain a stranger to my real sentiments he might reject-but I cannot disavow! And yet, to have him think, that I have all this while been laying snares for him-that all this parade of my acquirements was for the purpose of gaining his affections! Oh! how blind and stupid I was, not to see through, the injudicious praises of Mrs. Lennox! I should not then

have suffered this degradation in the eyes of her son!"

Hours passed away unheeded by Mary, while she was giving way to the wounded sensibility of a naturally high spirit and acute feelings, thus violently excited in all their first ardour. At length, she was recalled to herself, by hearing the sound of a carriage, as it passed under her window; and, immediately after, she received a message to repair to the drawing-room to her cousin, Lady Emily.

"How fortunate!" thought she; "I shall now get away-no matter how or where, I shall go never again to return."

And, unconscious of the agitation visible in her countenance, she hastily descended, impatient to bid an eternal adieu to her once loved Rose Hall. She found Lady Emily and Colonel Lennox together. Eyes less penetrating than her cousin's, would easily have discovered the state of poor Mary's mind, as she entered the room; her

beating heart-her flushed cheek and averted eye, all declared the perturbation of her spirits; and Lady Emily regarded her, for a moment, with an expression of surprise that served to heighten her confusion.

"I have no doubt, I am a very unwel come visitor here to all parties," said she; "for I come-how shall I declare it!-to carry you home, Mary, by command of Lady Juliana."

"No, no!" exclaimed Mary eagerly; "you are quite welcome. I am quite ready. I was wishing-I was waiting."-Then, recollecting herself, she blushed still deeper at her own precipitation.

"There is no occasion to be so vehemently obedient," said her cousin ; "I am not quite ready, neither am I wishing, or waiting to be off in such a hurry. Colonel Lennox and I had just set about reviving an old acquaintance; begun, I can't tell when-and broken off, when I was a thing in the nursery, with a blue sash and red

น

fingers. I have promised him, that when he comes to Beech Park, you shall sing him my favourite Scotch song, Should auld acquaintance be forgot.' I would sing it myself if I could; but I think every English woman, who pretends to sing Scotch songs, ought to have the bow-string;" then turning to the harpsichord, she began to play it with exquisite taste and feeling.

"There," said she, rising with equal levity;" is not that worth all the formal bows-and recollects to have had the pleasure-and long time since I had the honour'-and such sort of hateful reminiscences, that make one feel nothing, but that they are a great deal older, and uglier, stupider, and more formal than they were so many years before."

"Where the early ties of the heart remain unbroken," said Colonel Lennox, with some emotion, "such remembrances do indeed give it back all its first freshness; but it cannot be to every one a pleasure to have