TEMPTATION.

CHAPTER I.

She was at least forty years bebind the rest of the world in

AUNT Letty had, the last few years, become, if possible, even a more complete old maid than ever. Living as she did entirely by herself, and

having no one's pleasure to consult but her own, she had got into a certain little round of habits, which she could not now have broken through, without positive suffering. As long as Helen had been with her, she had made certain sacrifices for her sake; and if she had not consulted her pleasure much, she had never neglected what she believed to be her good; but now

that Helen was gone, and that she had no longer any duty to perform to her, or any body else, she gave herself up entirely to her own gratification and comfort, and laid down a little plan of life, which was never departed from, and which habit soon rendered necessary to her. Her servants, most of whom had lived with her many years, insensibly got into the same ways; and every thing went on in this quiet establishment with as much regular and dull monotony, as though they had been a set of nuns in some isolated convent. Every thing at Ashton looked clean and cool, and well taken care of,-from the very sofa-covers, down to the mats outside the doors,

which were so seldom used, that there was no fear of their ever wearing out. The mistress herself had not grown thin upon her solitude and disappointment;-her low spirits were become as necessary to her comfort, as cheerfulness would be to a young and joyous mind.— She would have been positively wretched without something to complain of; and one of her greatest pleasures was to brood over all the affictions she had had to endure.

Regularly every morning did she rise at seven ; and, after lamenting to the staid, elderly female, in whose person the offices of maid and housekeeper were combined (and who was an old maid herself), the misery of which this world is so full, whilst the said elderly female brushed and arranged the few hairs, which, like gold, rose in value in proportion to their scarcity, she proceeded down stairs to the little, neat morning room, where she always found her breakfast duly laid; the same china tea-cups and saucers, with the same pattern, which had been there

ever since she had herself; and the same oldfashioned silver tea-kettle, which had been a present from her grandmother, and which she would not have parted with for worlds. And day after day did she perform the same round of occupations-knitting, poring over the newspaper, and sometimes writing a little;-and, whatever she was employed in, sometimes stopping to sigh, and look out upon the pretty, wellkept lawn, with its waving beech-trees and beds of flowers, which she had gazed upon so often. And day after day was the same solitary cover laid in the dining-room; and precisely as the clock struck six, did the dinner make its appearance from the kitchen, and she hers, from her room, dressed with as much care and attention, in her sober-coloured silk, old-fashioned netted turban, and garnet brooch, as though she were to share her meal with half-a-dozen guests, instead of partaking of it in solitude.

No event ever occurred to alter the even tenour of her life, except now and then a visit from the

clergyman, a good sort of man, whom she occasionally invited to dinner on a Sunday, after evening service; or from her friend Lady Douglas, who would now and then write, and propose herself for a few days, if not inconvenient: a proof of friendship, with which Mrs. Gardner would willingly have dispensed. Lady Douglas's visits always put her completely out of her way for a month, and disturbed her temper for a much longer period. She hated the trouble of having to entertain any one; and any alteration in her little arrangements and usual habits, however trifling, was a positive calamity.

It would be difficult, therefore, to describe the fever of agitation into which she was thrown by the receipt, one morning at breakfast, of Morton's letter, announcing Helen's intended visit, and probable arrival at Ashton that very evening. She could not help feeling pleasure at the idea of seeing her niece again, after so long a separation; but, at the same time, she must consider herself a most ill-used person, to