wager that you were telling Mary about some of your beaux,-eh, Miss, am I not a good guesser? But come, Mary, perhaps Miss is shy, so you may tell me who her lover is though for that matter I dare say so pretty a young lady may have half-adozen !"

"If Miss is shy," said Ellinor, "it is more than Master is ;" and rising from her chair, with the air of an offended princess, she recrossed the room, and seated herself beside Catherine, leaving the brother and sister in undisguised amazement.

"Do you think," said Mr Stevens to his sister," that my coming between you has made her look so glum? I thought it was what you ladies liked; but I dare say she expects me to follow her-don't you think so ?"

"I would not advise you," replied Miss Stevens, in a whisper, "at least till she comes out of her passion; her very eyes are glancing yet."

"What are they glancing for? I am sure I said nothing to make them glance."

"Glance here, glance there, you may see with half an eye that she is in a real rage-I wonder what she is saying to Miss Dundas,"

As we take it for granted that our readers participate in the curiosity of Miss Stevens, we shall translate the speech of the indignant Ellinor.

"Catherine," said she, in Italian, "I wonder how Miss Kennedy dared to bring such a vulgar couple here-they are both bad enough, but really the man is quite insufferable. I never in my life met with such a familiar wretch; and the provoking part of the business is, that he considers himself quite at home. I tried to awe him into something like respect by my haughty looks, but they made no impression on him. Did you ever know such an invulnerable monster? But tell me, why is Mr Stevens's nose like a deputy-lieutenant's uniform ?"

Really, I cannot guess."

"Dull creature-don't you see that it is turned up with red? But do look at them whispering together, as if they were plotting treason, very polite behaviour, I must say."

"Almost as much so," said Catherine, laughing," as conversing in a language your visitors don't understand. Really, Ellinor, I cannot patronize such rudeness, so, please you, speak in your mother tongue." But, observing Miss Kennedy staring at them, and with a view to make her suppose Ellinor had made some quotation, she added, in English," Indeed, Ellinor, I don't admire the work you mention."

“What work, Miss Dundas?" asked Miss Kennedy, whose curiosity to know the cause of their mirth, got the better of her dread of books.

"The Diary of an Old Maid," replied Ellinor. "Have you seen the book? I believe they have it in the library, and I assure you, I can recommend it, it is so highly amusing. Catherine, do you recol

lect that part, where the old lady goes to call on a family, for the sole purpose of prying into their affairs, and the lady of the mansion, not being ready to make her appearance, her visitor, pour passer le tems, gives her companion, some cousin or niece, no very favourable account of the family, without being aware that one of the daughters was in an adjoining apartment, and heard every word she said-and then her consternation, on hearing some one cough in the next room! It is really admirably drawn; Charles and I laughed a whole week at that scene. You ought to read it. It is a most delightful work."

"I think it must be so," replied Miss Kennedy, with a hysterical giggle, on finding Ellinor treading on such tender ground; for, not at all aware whether there were such a book, her fears led her to suspect that "more was meant than met the ear;" and glad to change the topic, she turned to Sir Thomas, leaving Ellinor to finish her mirth amid the remonstrances of Catherine.

"I am very happy, Sir Thomas," said Miss Kennedy, "that you like P―, as you may be induced to return to us next season. You seem to be very comfortably lodged here. Let me see, you must have at least three bed-rooms on this floor ?"

"You have hit the number precisely," replied Charles, who was standing beside her; "there are three bed-rooms on this floor, and the small one off the drawingroom is mine. Generally, the house is well laid out; but there is one great objection to it, which, in my opinion, would prevent any one from wishing to remain long in it."

"Ah!" said Miss Kennedy, with awakened curiosity, "I hope it is not haunted ?"

"Not that I know of," replied Charles, "though it is said, that malignant and evil spirits have been occasionally seen within; but the house requires deafening. Do you know, 'tis a fact that even a whisper in this room reaches me in my chamber, as distinctly as if the speaker were close