I sunk to meanness; never, never, how ever tempted, however provoked, never do as I did, never reproach a friend with any sacrifice you have made for them; this is a meanness which your friend may forgive, but which you can never forgive yourself. '

"I reproached him with the sacrifice of my feelings, which I had made in marrying him! His answer was, I feel that what you say is true: I now am convinced you are incapable of loving me, and since I cannot make you happy, we had better-part.'

"These were the last words I heard. The blow was wholly unexpected. Whether I sunk down, or threw myself at his feet, I know not; but when I came to myself he was standing beside me. There were other faces, but my eyes only saw his; I felt his hand holding mine. I pressed it, and said 'forget.' He stooped down and whispered it is forgotten."" And from thenceforth Lady Davenant became such a wife as Lord The following sketch of the personal appearance and manners of Sir Walter Scott, has, we are persuaded, been drawn from nature.

Davenant deserved.

·

"Oh, how I wish I had seen him!' said Helen to Lady Davenent, the only person present who had had that happiness.' "If you have seen Raeburn's admirable picture, or Chantry's speaking bust,' replied Lady Davenent, you have as complete an idea of Sir Walter Scott as painting or sculpture can give. The first impression of his appearance and manner was surprising to me, I recollect, from its quiet, unpretending good nature; but scarcely had that impression been made, before I was struck with something of the chivalrous courtesy of other times. In his conversation you would have found all that is most delightful in all his works -the combined talents and knowledge. of the historian, novelist, antiquary, and poet. He recited poetry admirably, his whole face and figure kindling as he spoke; but whether talking, reading, or reciting, he never tired me even with admiring; and it is curious, that in conversation with him, I frequently found myself forgetting that I was speaking to Sir Walter Scott; and what is even more extraordinary, forgetting that Sir Walter Scott was speaking to me, till I was awakened to the conviction of his saying something which no one else could have said; altogether he was certainly the

most perfectly agreeable, and perfectly amiable great man I ever knew.""

We do not think it would be justice either to the authoress or the publishers to give such an abstract of the story as would forestall the curiosity of the reader. That is a species of pirating, of which reviewers are sometimes guilty, but which we will, in the present instance at least, avoid. In the case of Lady Blessington's work, we are persuaded that, in making it as fully known as we have endeavoured to do, we were doing no more than her ladyship must have been anxious to see done; as her object, obviously is, to infuse into the misguided people of this country, better feelings and better principles than those by which they are at present possessed. Besides, in such a publication, she can have no pecuniary object. But where a work, as in the case of the one before us, is to be regarded as a matter of property, we deem it right to confine ourselves to such citations as may serve to make its merits known, without so rifling it as to interfere with its sale, and render it unprofitable as a literary speculation. In our pages, criticism shall never, if we can help it, assume the character of the foot-pad; for in such a light must the author regard even the friendly reviewer by whom his pages are pilfered of their contents, when the critique will only serve to render the work that has been eulogized so much lumber upon the shelves of the bookseller. But one extract more we must give Lady Cecilia brings together a party of fashionables and politicians, whose views are somewhat discordant. Each seems surrounded by an atmosphere of repulsion, and the amiable hostess almost medium by which they might be united despairs of discovering any blending in general hilarity and enjoyment.

"No one spoke, and nought was heard but the cup on the saucer, or the spoon in the cup, or the buzzing of a fly in the window. In the midst of this awful calm it was, that Lady Bearcroft blurted out with a loud voice- Amazing entertaining we are! So many clever people got together, too, for what?' It was worth while to have seen Lady Masham's face at that moment! Lady Bearcroft saw it, and fearing no mortal, struck with the comic of that look of Lady Masham's, burst into laughter uncontrolled, and the

contrast of dignity and gravity in Lady Davenant, only made her laugh the more, till out of the room at last she ran. Lady Masham all the while, of course, never betrayed the slightest idea that she could, by any possibility, have been the object of Lady Bearcroft's mirth. But Lady Davenant-how did she take it? To her daughter's infinite relief, quite quietly; she looked rather amused than displeased. She bore with Lady Bearcroft altogether better than could have been expected, because she considered her only as a person unfortu nately out of her place in society, and without any fault of her own, dragged up from below to a height of situation for which nature had never intended, and neither art nor education had prepared her; whose faults and deficiencies were thus brought into the flash of day at once, before the malice of party, and the fastidiousness of fashion, which knows not how to distinguish between manque d'esprit and manque d'usage. Not so Lady Darenant, she made liberal and philosophic allowance for even those faults of manner which were most glaring, and she further suspected that Lady Bearcroft purposely exaggerated her own vulgarity-partly for diversion-partly to make people stare-and partly to prevent their seeing what was habitual, and what involuntary, by hiding the bounds of reality. Of this Lady Masham had not the most distant conception; on the contrary, she was now prepared to tell a variety of odd anecdotes of Lady Bearcroft. She had seen, she said, this extraordinary person before, but had never met her in society, and delighted she was, unexpectedly to find her here- quite a treat.' While she was yet speaking, Lady Bearcroft returned; and her malicious enemy, leaning back in her chair, as in expectation of the piece beginning, waited for her puppet to play or be played off."

"Notwithstanding Lady Bearcroft's want of knowledge of the great world, she had considerable knowledge of human nature, which stood her wonderfully in stead. She had no notion of being made sport of for the elegantes, and with all Lady Masham's plausibility of persiflage

she never obtained her end, and never elicited anything really absurd, by all attempts to draw her out-out she could not be drawn. After an unconquerable silence, and all semblance of dead stupidity, Lady Bearcroft suddenly showed signs of life, however, and she, all at once, began to talk to Helen, of all

people! And why? Because she had taken, in her own phrase, a monstrous fancy to Miss Stanley; she was not sure of her name, but she knew she liked her nature, and it would be a pity that her reason should not be known, and in the words in which she told it to Lady Cecilia. Now I will just tell you why I have taken such a monstrous fancy to your friend here, Miss Hanley.'

"Miss Stanley, give me leave to mention,' said Lady Cecilia, Let me introduce you regularly.'

"Oh! by no means; don't trouble yourself now, Lady Cecilia, for I hate regular introductions. But, as I was going to tell you how, before dinner today, as I came down the great staircase, I had an uncommon large, big, and, for ought I know, a yellow corking pin, which that most careless of all careless maids of mine-a good girl too-had left sticking point foremost out of some part of me. Miss Hanley-Stanley-(beg pardon,) was behind, and luckily saw and stopped. Out she pulled it, begging my pardon, so kindly, too, I only felt the twitch on my sleeve, and turned, and loved the first sight I had of that pretty face, which need never blush I am sure, though it's very becoming to blush too. So good-natured, you know, Lady Cecilia, it was when nobody was looking, and before any one was the wiser. Not like some young ladies, or old even, that would have shewed one up rather than help one out in any pin's point of a difficulty.''

n

Lady Bearcroft is the wife of a judge, whose appointment to the bench, she suspects, is owing to the influence which Lady Davenant exerted in his favour.

anxious in her own way to requite, This the worthy woman is and she consults Miss Stanley respecting a present of some jewellery which she had ordered from Paris and transmitted to Lady Davenant, but which had been returned to her with the

word missent written on the parcel. Having ascertained that the word was Lady Davenant's handwriting, and that there was no mistake,' she resolves to present the jewels in person. Lady Davenant is indignant, and her manoeuvering daughter finds that her political scheme has miscarried.

"Quite pale Lady Cecilia stood, really in despair, and Helen did not know what to advise. Do you know any thing about it, Helen, for you look as if you did?'

"An abrupt knock at the door interrupted them, and, without waiting for permission, in came Lady Bearcroft, as if blown by a high wind-looking very red, half angry, half frightened—and then laughing, she exclaimed- A fine boggle de botch I have made of it!' But seeing Lady Cecilia she stopped short. Beg pardon-thought you were by yourself, Miss Hanley! Lady Cecilia, instantly offered to retire, yet intimated, as she moved towards the door, a wish to stay; and, if it were not too much, to ask what was meant by—'

"By boggle de botch do you mean?' said Lady Bearcroft. I am aware it is not a canonical word-classical I mean; nor in nor out of any dictionary, perhaps --but when people are warm, they cannot stand picking terms.'

Certainly not,' said Lady Cecilia; but what is the matter? I am sorry any thing unpleasant has occurred.'

Unpleasant, indeed,' said Lady Bearcroft; I have been treated actually like a dog, while paying a compliment too, and a very handsome compliment, beyond contradiction. Judge for yourself, Lady Cecilia, if this sevigne is to be sneezed at?' "She opened the case; Lady Cecilia said the diamonds were certainly very handsome, but

"But,' repeated Lady Bearcroft, I grant you there may be a but to every thing in life; still it might be said civilly, as you say it, Lady Cecilia, or looked civilly, as you look it, Miss Hanley; and if that had been done, instead of being affronted, I might after all have been very well pleased to pocket my diamonds; but nobody can, without compunction, pocket an affront.'

"Lady Cecilia was sure her mother could not have meant any affront.

"Oh I do not know what she could or could not mean; but I will tell you what she did all but threw the diamonds in my face.'

666

Impossible,' said Helen.

"Possible; and I will shew you how, Miss Hanley. This way just shut down the case-snap-and across the table she threw it, just as you would deal a card in a passion, only with a Mrs. Siddon's air to boot. I beg your pardons, both ladies, for mimicking your friend and your parent, but flesh and blood could not stand that sort of style, you know, and a little wholesome mimicry breaks no bones, and is not very offensive I hope.'

"But do you know now, really, the first anger over, I like Lady Davenant. I protest and vow, even her pride I like --it well became her birth and all, for I hear she is straight from Charlemagne. But I was going to mention, now my recollection is coming to me, that when I began to talk to her Ladyship of Sir Ben's gratitude about the place she got for him, she cut me short with her queer look, and said she was sure that Lord Davenant, (and if he had been the king himself, instead of only her husband and your father, Lady Cecilia, she could not have pronounced his name with more dsitinction,) she was sure, she said, that Lord Davenant would not have been instrumental in obtaining that place for Sir Benjamin Bearcroft, if he had known any man more worthy of it, which, indeed, I did not think at the time over and above civil-for where then was the particular compliment to Sir Ben?" "

We now take our leave of this charming writer, and sincerely hope to meet with her soon again.

It was in a saloon of the Palais Royal that I first met Arthur Mac Dermott-the night was wild, tempestuous, and disagreeable-the wind howled, and so did the dogs-the rain splashed, and so did the passengers I was heart-sick of Paris-tired of sights abominated theatres-discovered that my valet was a rogue, and my mistress a rouê—had been jockeyed in the morning, and jilted in the afternoon-and not knowing how else to kill a dreary hour, as a last resource, dropped into hell itself.

Every body has played Rouge et Noir, if they had but the honesty to acknowledge it. Therefore, every body knows the locale of the table, and the character of the company. On this night there was the usual family party, with some legs and some soft-ones, a few small merchants were peddling cautiously, and the only dashing player was just then regularly done up.

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May the curse of Cromwell attend you, red and black ?" ejaculated a tragi-comic voice, which issued from the moustachoed lips of a strapping Emeralder. I looked at the plucked one he was a fine, stout, dark-haired fellow of six feet. "He will be in the morgue to-morrow," whispered a lemoncoloured dwarf, with a nondescript ribbon at his button-hole, "he has lost five hundred Napoleons." I examined the sufferer again. The Frenchman was wrong-the careless dare-devil indifference of the man, shewed that he possessed that true mercurial tempérament indigenous to the land of potatoes, which rises while fortune sinks, and sets calamity at defiance.

BYRON.

While I still gazed at the unlucky gambler, he had assumed his hat and gloves, preparatory to leaving the scene of his defeat, when a sudden thought occurred, that even yet luck might change, and the poor fellow retrieve his losses. I took ten Napoleons from my purse, called him apart, and whispered my wishes. A broad suspicious stare from the stranger was succeeded by an enquiry of "whether I was serious?" On this point I satisfied him, and next moment he took out his ticket case, begged me to interchange cards, and returned as merrily to play, as if he had already netted a thousand.

"The devil's in the fellow's carelessness," said I, "my Naps are gone for ever;” and the very first movement at the table, demolished the moiety of my subsidy. In silence I cursed my own folly, and determining not to witness the result, left the Palais Royal, and hastened to my hotel, reprobating mankind and the elements.

Some hours passed-every lodger in the house was sleeping but myself. Suddenly a thundering knocking threatened destruction to the door, and the drowsy porter muttering curses "deep, not loud," rose to parley with the untimely visitor. A colloquy in broken English ensued. My name was mentioned-" Monsieur is in bed" -Monsieur is not visible."

"Bedershin, my jewel!" roared a voice whose tones I began to recollect -"visible or not visible, I'll see him. I will, by every thing that's fortunate," and in the briefest space imaginable, the black-whiskered adventurer of the

Palais Royal bore down all opposition and was standing at my bed side. "We have been lucky, my darling boy," exclaimed the excited Milesian, as he flung a handkerchief filled with notes and gold coin upon the coverlet. "The old girl of the wheel proved herself a gentlewoman, stuck to me like bird-lime, 'till by Saint Patrick, I cleaned out the company, and broke the bank and now for a division."

"A division-I have no claim beyond a return of the sum I lent you," said I.

"No claim! arrah naboclish sure, we were regular co-partners in trade," replied my loving countryman. I denied altogether the existence of the firm, and after a stout demur on his part, received my ten Napoleons, with a squeeze of the hand, that left mine aching for an hour afterwards. Taking up his hat, Mr. MacDermott rolled his treasure in the handkerchief, secured it with a knot, and promising that he would see me early next day, was in the act of taking leave, when the porter knocked and was admitted. He came up to say that he had observed two men, of very suspicious appearance, loitering before the hotel, and had no doubt but they had dogged the stranger thither, with evil designs against his purse or person.

The windows of my sitting room commanded a view of the street, and leaving the candles in my chamber, to prevent our being discovered by those without, we peeped cautiously abroad. The light was variable, as the clouds careered across the moon: presently she shone brilliantly for a moment, and in the passing gleam, we saw distinctly two figures such as the servant described, lurking in the opposite porte coche. The truth was evident. The successful gambler had been pursued from that sink of villainy, the Palais Royale, and the ruffians outside were waiting his leaving the hotel to rob and murder him. I shuddered when I thought how narrowly the unconscious victim had escaped assassination.

"Now what the plague can these fellows want with me?" enquired my countryman, with provoking indiffer

ence.

The porter grinned, shrugged his shoulders, and replied with a polite

bow, "nothing more than to qualify Monsieur for the morgue in the morning."

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Phew!" said the Milesian with a peculiar whistle, "and is it that they'r after? Well, I have the luck of thousands to night. I saw a very dacentlooking pair of marking-irons on your table. I'll borrow them, if you plase. Just when I go out, do you lift the window, and if in the course of your travels, you ever saw a couple of private gentlemen more beautifully taken in, never trust me with the tools again."

"Now would it not save you some trouble, and me a charge or two of powder, if you would not interfere with the executioner, and remain contented for a few hours where you are? There is an excellent sofa, wood enough in the grate, candles, wine, and you can make a pillow of your property, and sleep upon Napoleons and bank notes."

"Egad you are right, but”—
"You are dying for a row," said I.

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Why, faith, I would give a few pieces to accommodate the scoundrels with the wrong metal, and while they expected gold, make lead answer."

"Well, I have no doubt but finishing a brace of cut-throats would be a pleasant wind-up to a night of play; but still I recommend the sofa to you, and them to the hangman."

"You are right," said MacDermott, "but it is unfair to let the honest men without, waste time in useless expectation." He opened the window. "Gentlemen of the 'pavé', the top of the morning to ye, as we say in Tipperary. Toddle off if ye plase. I'm going to practice at the post beside ye, and as the light's but indifferent, why, monamondiaoul! I might, by mistake, shoot into the gateway."

The address of Mr. Macdermott was understood, and indeed it would be surprising had it not, as he delivered it in three languages, namely, English, Irish, and French. A shffling of feet, a muttered sacre! and a momentary glimpse of two persons stealing round the corner, shewed that the hint was attended to.

In a little time my unexpected guest had arranged the sofa to his perfect satisfaction, heaped on a blazing wood fire, fortified his stomach with by far