"Hang it! this is being too scrupulous. But," colouring violently, and after a momentary hesitation, "the fact is, my dear girl, my mother, as you say, would never now consent to an union, being a vast stickler for equal alliances; and, curse it! my father has tied me up so, that without her consent I can do nothing; so, to ren der ourselves happy, we must e'en wave a little ceremony, and be happier, to a certainty, in the way proposed by me, than in the way that was proposed for us."

"I don't comprehend you," said Fidelia, drawing back.

"Nay, deuce take me! this is being affected. Well, to be explicit, you must consent to letting love be the only tie between us."

With all his effrontery, Fidelia had not believed his lordship capable of any thing so deliberately vile and insulting; but, disdaining to give utterance to the feelings it excited to hold parley with a person so base, she was quitting the room, when he prevented her; the Rubicon was

passed, and, determined on not losing her, he caught her in his arms. She shrieked in terror, and almost instantly Mrs. Nevin made her appearance. Of her immediate interference Fidelia made not a doubt; but, instead of minding her, she went to the window, which was up, and exclaiming" Ah, then! musha, my lord! why didn't you pull down the sash ?" quietly did so herself, and retired from the room.

"You see," said his lordship, with an exulting laugh," my conduct is not reckoned quite so flagitious by others as you try to persuade yourself it is."

But, instead of replying to him, with the sudden strength of desperation Fidelia pushed him from her, and darting from the room, ere he had the power of preventing her, was down the stairs and out of the house in a minute. She fled from it, without knowing whither she was going, nor paused till she had got, as she conceived, some distance from it; then cast

ing her affrighted looks around, she saw a street before her, in which was a stand of carriages. She beckoned to one, and stepping into it, directed the man to the Green, as the only place she could recollect at the

moment.

Her situation was overwhelming, but she tried to collect herself, from the necessity there was for obtaining immediate refuge; for, to venture back to the place from which she had escaped was not to be thought, convinced as she was, from what had just occurred there, that, even if not inveigled there through lord Castle Dermot's means, as she had now a misgiving of, still she could have no assurance of being protected from him. But where to seek what she required, stranger as she was in Dublin! While thinking what was to be done, a family she had obtained some knowledge of through the Beaumonts suddenly occurred to her recollection, and accordingly pulling the check-string, she desired the coachman to drive to Mr. Fagan's, linen-draper, in Bride-street,

His shop, in the dirtiest and narrowest part of this dirty and narrow street, excited a sensation of disgust that made her shrink from becoming the inmate of such a place; but her terror of remaining unprotected was too powerful to allow her to yield to fastidiousness, and accordingly entering, she introduced herself to his wife, who was there by herself, with a timid request to know whether she could allow her to remain a few days in her house, or recommend her to another, where she would be equally safe?

"Laws, Miss! to let you be here is quite impossible," said Mrs. Fagan, quietly folding up different articles that were scattered on the counter as she spoke," for I have no room that's not set; and even if I hadn't, I have given up setting lodgings to ladies, they are so troublesome, always ringing the bell for one fiddle-faddle or another, and taking up the time of a servant for nothing. But, then, how is the old couple? we haven't heard a word from them since we got the last basket of

poultry. Miss Albina is a fine girl, to be sure, by this? Does Mrs. Beaumont like her game of cards as well as ever?"

"Yes, I believe so," replied the agitated Fidelia; "but-" and she renewed her entreaty for Mrs. Fagan to tell her of some lodging, since she could not accommodate her herself.

"Laws, Miss!" she answered, with a look of listless indifference that heightened the anguish of the poor fugitive, from the little interest it argued about her, "there are plenty of bills up."

But then, as I know no one"

કંદ Why that, to be sure," and at last she said there was a house at the Green, where she thought she might get what she required—“ But 'tis kept by an Englishwoman, and you know they are very particular."

Fidelia eagerly inquired, might she make use of her name? and received the requisite permission; Mrs. Fagan adding, that Mrs. Simpkins, keeping a haberdasher's shop, dealt with them for differ