have the desired effect. At length be coming hopeless of this, she was meditat ing how she should apply to the countess for her interference, when a costly set of pearl ornaments, forced upon her by his lordship, furnished her with an opportunity. Such a present must, she thought, open her eyes to the nature of his sentiments for her, and of course occasion a proper remonstrance from her on the subject. Accordingly hastening to her dressing-room with them, she laid them before her, informing her how they had been received, and entreating she would have the goodness to return them to his lordship, her own effort to do so proving ineffectual.

』

"And why should I do so?" demanded the countess, as she opened the case to examine them. "Is it only the donor gives value to a gift in your eyes? You allowed colonel Grandison, the other day, to present you with some trinkets; but from lord Castle Dermot you reject any similar proof of regard?"

"I-I certainly did," returned Fidelia,

after a momentary confusion.." But what your ladyship alludes to were not expressly purchased for me, but given in consequence of my chancing to admire them particularly, amongst some other gems collected abroad."

"We can easily find pretexts for doing what we like," said the countess. "I own I am a little piqued at your seeming so decidedly to prefer one to the other; on my account, at least, I should have hoped that my son would have been regarded by you. But perhaps colonel Grandison has better insinuated himself into your favour. I should be very sorry to breathe a word to his prejudice, but believe me, his attentions to you can never be of a serious nature; for, with all your attrac tions, lord Fitzossóry never would permit his heir to form an alliance with a woman of unequal rank."..

"But what has lord Fitzossory to say to colonel Grandison?" involuntarily demanded Fidelia. Not, believe me,

ma'am," blushing deeply," that I have the slightest idea 'tis to me of any conse quence to know-I am too well aware of the little right I have to entertain vain or ambitious views, ever to have given way to such."

"What has he to say to him!" repeated the countess." Why, don't you know that he is his grandfather ?"

"No," turning pale, from anticipating a most agitating disclosure, "not till now did I know; nor do I now well compré hend it, always understanding the name of his heir was Mórven, not Grandison."

Both: his father's name is Grandison, but he was christened by the family name of the Fitzossorys; and so hateful is the former to the earl, from circumstances I have not now time to detail, that, in compliment to his prejudices, or rather compliance with his wishes, the colonel is never addressed by it in his presence, and scarcely, I believe, known in his neighbourhood by any other than the one annexed to it."

"Unfortunate mistake!" sighed Fidelia to herself in bitterness of spirit. All that had appeared strange and unjustifiable in the conduct of Mr. Beaumont towards her was now accounted for: he had not falsely accused her of conversing with Morven, while her positive denial of the fact, from knowing him by no other name than that of Grandison, naturally occasioned her to be considered base and perfidious.

"

She saw she had been the victim of a cruel mistake-a mistake which she knew not whether to acquit Grandison of being accessary to. Why had he allowed him-. self to be introduced to her friends by one name, and yet let her continue to address him by another? Did not this argue a wish to keep her in error? And to what but some sinister motive could such a wish be owing?-to what his still seeking her when alone? Oh! it was almost evident there was cause for suspicion. But if he was other than he seemed, how ever again durst she judge from appearances? But be what he might all that was noble in

nature, impassioned in tenderness, or cruel, subtle, and designing-still alike were they sundered by this discovery in no other way than by henceforth shunning him, could she vindicate herself in the opinion of her early protectors-in no other way prove to her dearest friend, that voluntarily she had not aided in occasioning à pang to her bosom.

Some minutes elapsed ere she at all recovered from the shock occasioned by this discovery. Not a little pained was the countess at seeing her so affected, naturally concluding it was owing to her assertion concerning lord Fitzossory; she tried, however, to flatter herself that the consequent termination of her hopes relative to colonel Grandison would induce her to lend a readier ear to the professions of lord Castle Dermot; almost was she tempted to implore that this might be the case, but checked the impulse, from a fear that even the person flattered by her yielding to it might expose her to ridicule for it. To become a supplicant for her