disturb him: she for a moment was lost too in astonishment at the audacity of the man, whose disgusting character had become notorious; she whispered, "Miss Dormer, this must be a Romeo amid the Capulets; I suppose he will plead a tender tale, and say it was love bade him overstep those walls." She had scarcely uttered these words, when the stranger turned towards her: she was struck with the same manly beauty of face she had before admired: she could not help, in spite of all her prejudices, feeling that he was in appearance far beyond all, even her admired Lord Delaware.

The stranger advanced, hesitated, then advanced again; he smiled, and was on the point of addressing her, when the remembrance that it was Aubrey to whom she was about to listen, flashed across her mind; she summoned to her aid her pride and her resentment, and with a haughty glance she left him. He looked unprepared for this unkind reception; his philosophy seemed overwhelmed, yet he cast a look of mingled regard and sorrow after her, and in silence left the house without entering further.

The evening passed away in expectation. Every body was disappointed when supper was announced, and still he came not. Lord Delaware was surrounded by a host of fair ladies, who accused him of raising their expectations, and then leaving them ungratified. It was useless for him to express his own regret and disappointment: he was severely treated, and a vote of censure passed upon him nem. con. He was quite mortified at his friend's absence, particularly as he was unable to account for it in any rational way.

The party separated, and it was proposed by Lord Delaware, that as he had been accused as a willing deceiver, that he should be allowed on the following morning to bring the defaulter in person. The pledge was accepted by Lady Harriet; but, as she was engaged to go into the city to see some wild monster, some panorama, or some nondescript picture, it was arranged they were to meet at the place where this exhibition took place; and the next day, about the appointed time, Lady Harriet, accompanied by Miss Dormer, set out in the carriage. As they were little acquainted with the city they were not a little surprised, when the footman to whom they had given their directions informed them the place of exhibition was at Smithfield. They were of course much amused at their mistake, and fancied the persons who had advised them to go to such an exhibition meant only to amuse themselves at their expence; but they determined to go, especially as they had made an appointment, and they felt persuaded the more extraordinary the expedition the more amusement it would afford, and they boldly desired him to tell the coachman to set off. The footman, little accustomed to such distances, scarcely knew what to make of it, but in obedience ordered the coachman to go on; and he with the accustomed wish of all

London Jehus of shortening the road, drove through every narrow street, and dirty alley, giving the ladies a full opportunity of seeing the mansions of the humble poor.

In one of the narrowest lanes all progess was suddenly stopped by the appearance of an immense brewer's cart, which, in defiance of all the laws of humanity, filled up the whole of the very small street. The coachman declared it impossible to proceed further; but as the ladies were informed they were close to the place of their destination, they then determined to walk to the stupid exhibition. They accordingly left the carriage, and had proceeded some way into a broader street, when a crowd of people came running in the utmost terror, and behind them an infuriated ox, which had been over driven and cruelly beat on its way to Smithfield, till goaded to madness it had turned upon its pursuers, and was carrying terror before it. Lady Harriet possessed much courage for a woman, but on such an occasion it vanished; and though the object of her fear was yet at some distance, and might have been avoided, alarm took such possession of her she was unable to move, whilst Miss Dormer and the servant, almost borne away by the crowd, escaped; she however was left alone on the causeway, and in one moment the enraged animal was close to her; but she was suddenly lifted from the ground by a gentleman, and borne away to a place of safety, whilst the ox pursued its mad career. It was, however, at last lodged safely in a bookseller's shop, where fortunately there happened to be no one; and the quadruped finding itself once more at liberty, indulged its literary taste: he turned over many pages of history, of geography, of philosophy; and was wrapped up in the ardent pursuit of a new novel, when his enemies again made their appearance. He was secured after throwing a little light on some disputed passages, by breaking a few panes of glass.

Lady Harriet recovered in a few minutes from the dreadful alarm into which she had been thrown, and most anxiously turned to offer her warmest tribute of gratitude to her deliverer, when, to her utter astonishment, she beheld the interesting but unfortunate Aubrey. The trepidation into which this unexpected event threw her, prevented her from speaking; but her delight was great when, on looking on the other side of the street, she beheld Lord Delaware in conversation with the frightened Miss Dormer, who was more dead than alive. With a hasty excuse she ran to join the party, and the stranger followed. Lord Delaware congratulated her on her happy escape: "you owe much to your preserver," said he: "suffer me to introduce to you my friend, Mr. Cleveland." She looked around, and saw none but the hated Aubrey; but in a moment the truth flashed across her mind, her eyes beamed with delight, a thrill of joy pervaded her whole frame, as she exclaimed, "Is this indeed Mr. Cleveland!" "Yes," said Lord Delaware; "you both look planet struck. Is

this your gallantry, sir; or this, madam, l'usage du monde; but pray take his arm, whilst I follow with Miss Dormer, for these narrow lanes are not the best places for explanations, and I foresee a great deal is to be said."

In a few moments the parties were sufficiently recovered to stammer forth some apologies to each other; at last Lady Harriet assured Mr. Cleveland of the grateful sense she must ever entertain of his gallant conduct, which had been the cause of her escape from so appalling a danger; and it was delightful, too delightful, she said, to find that it was Mr. Cleveland, and not to Mr. Charles Aubrey, as she had been led from circumstances to imagine, she was indebted for the pleasures of a most agreeable morning.

He replied, he was equally delighted to find that it was owing to such a misapprehension, he had been so unfavourably received last night. Their mutual embarrassment soon wore away, and much conversation passed between all parties. The gentlemen had been on their way to the place of exhibition with a view of keeping the appointment that had been made on the former night, when the unexpected rencontre took place, and now the nervous agitation of the ladies had subsided, much amusement was excited at their boldly proceeding on such an expedition, to gratify the curiosity for which the sex from the days of the apple-eating Eve has been celebrated. They were not insensible to the feelings of their fellow beings, they said; and neither wished to be considered superior nor inferior to the rest of womankind.

They however determined to give up the idea of seeing the exhibition for which they had encountered such perils, and the gentlemen handed them to the carriage, and promised to see them in the evening. The delightful agitation into which the amiable Lady Harriet Clifford was thrown by this unexpected discovery elevated her spirits, and gave a joy unknown to her before.

She seemed only to wish once again to be in the society of the accomplished, the amiable Cleveland; and when he arrived at Exeter House, they immediately found themselves engrossed in each other's society, regardless of any other being: even Lord Delaware was forgotten; and he smiled at the fickleness of woman. They were animated and cheerful: Cleveland laughed at the cause of his last night's uneasiness. He had waited some time in the ante-room, unwilling to proceed till he was joined by Lord Delaware; and when he saw the picture he immediately drew the conclusion, that it could be no other than Lady Harriet, whose beauty, and whose liveliness, had left an indelible impression on his mind; but his mortification had indeed been great, when, instead of a welcome reception, he had endured what he almost acknowledged to himself was an insult, and obliged him immediately to leave the house, fully determined never again to place himself within those walls.

Lady Harriet said, with a look of delight, she could only forgive herself for the rudeness she had been guilty of to him who was destined to be her preserver, by remembering that she had mistaken him for one who had only a right to be treated with contempt: she thought his name was Aubrey; and with a look of archness, she added, "but I was too good a physiognomist to believe that face belonged to any individual whose heart was in the wrong place, or whose bad qualities were so predominant as that gentleman's are supposed to be."

Čertainly!" replied Cleveland, " for whatever mischief I may be indebted to Mr. Aubrey, I certainly owe to him the greatest pleasure of my life: that which has introduced me to yourself. We had some business together on a private concern of a dear friend, when he informed me he was obliged to go to Lady Norfolk's to deliver to her a message of importance, and appointed me to meet him there. I went the morning I was happy enough to find so charming a companion; I waited, as you may remember, some time, but finding Mr. Aubrey did not appear, I ordered my carriage to be ready at four, and if he did not come by that time, I was to take my departure. Had I not promised Lady Norfolk, who fears every breath of wind, not to tell my name, lest it should be imagined by the Ministry I was her visitor, you would have known who it was that had the honour of addressing you."

"I should have been spared," said Lady Harriet, with a smile, "much mortification, for I have been so enraged with myself for believing I was interested for Mr. Aubrey."

"What!" then quickly replied Cleveland, "you were interested in the person with whom you conversed, and who was too happy to have passed moments which will ever be his most delightful recollections."

"What!" said Lady Harriet, "is Mr. Cleveland like the rest of men, a smooth flatterer, or am I!-dare I to believe that he still has a thought of that interview."

"Yes! and he remembers," replied Cleveland, "that he told you, you would soon find how interested were the praises he bestowed on Lord Exeter and Lord Delaware, for they have been his best, his only friends."

Ah," said Lady Harriet, "I was persuaded the man who spoke so warmly, so enthusiastically of two such persons, could not be a bad man, or he must have been what his countenance denied, the very worst of hypocrites, the basest of deceivers."

Both parties seemed pleased with each other, their conversation became animated, and the commencement of an affection between Cleveland and Lady Harriet was very visible; and Lord Delaware saw with much satisfaction an intimacy beginning, which must soon terminate in an union between two people whom, he was persuaded, nature had adapted for each other. There was

an enthusiasm about Lady Harriet, which would be tempered by the mild serenity of Cleveland; there was a vigour of mind, which would properly be directed by the hand of so complete a master as his friend; and there was a similarity of temper, as well as of sentiment, which could not fail to render both parties most happy in a state of domestic enjoyment.

Still Lord Delaware could not help thinking Miss Avondale felt for Cleveland something like affection; he remembered the pleasure with which she welcomed him home, the delight with which she often listened to him, the constant satisfaction which she seemed to feel in his society, and above all, the warm interest she had shewn on a late occasion, the extraordinary steps she had taken to shew that his integrity was unsullied; and Lord Delaware determined to watch the motions of her mind, before he allowed the feelings of Cleveland to be led away by the charming and fascinating Lady Harriet.

He asked Čleveland where Miss Avondale was, to which he replied, that she was with Lady Aubrey and her mother-in-law, but his intention was to send immediately to have his own establishment prepared for her reception. Lady Harriet immediately invited her to Exeter House, whilst the mansion in Dover-street was preparing—an invitation which Cleveland, in her name, gladly accepted, as he did not wish his fair friend longer to feel herself under any obligation to any one that bore the name of Aubrey.

In a day or two Miss Avondale found herself delightfully situated at Exeter House; the charms of elegant society seemed to call forth a talent for conversation, and for sprightly wit. Every body seemed to gather round her for instruction and amusement; to Lord Delaware this was surprising; he had remembered that at Eglinton Hall, though she joined with ease in conversing on the topics of the day, she evinced none of that superior talent which every day, every hour, seemed now to bring forth; to all she was equally kind, but he thought that to himself, there was more distant civility than to any one else. He feared that she fancied he was one of the gay, the idle, the frivolous butterflies of the hour, that flutter around every new object, and are scarcely to be noticed afterwards.

To him, all she said were common-place observations, however interesting the topics she discussed with others; to him she only offered such uninteresting remarks, that he fancied she had formed no high idea of his judgment or sense. He knew not why it was, that he should have such interest for one who regarded him not, but still he felt she occupied a greal deal of his attention; no beauty to recommend her no peculiar charms of person'; yet, he thought, her countenance was expressive, and her smile, though it seldom crossed her features, that smile was itself a heaven. Indeed, however lively her conversation was, her face