but in avowing those sentiments, he seemed to depict a character to which she had no pretensions; and though her system of love had actually been built upon the foundation which he seemed to approve-viz. a belief that their minds were congenial, she sank into the veriest artizan of the profession as she listened to his accents; and remained a convicted believer that the plan, in all cases of this sort, should be drawn by the man.

Thus far have we elucidated Louisa Beverly's topography of love; and we believe the sketch would, with a few excep-, tions, meet general approbation.

The baronet and his son remained at the Hall until late in the evening. Sir Ormsby's original intent of recalling Miss Wentworth was rescinded. He had not gather

ed any additional motive for a deprivation so unwarranted; nor could any than a mind constructed like that of sir Ormsby's have entertained an idea of the sort.

The protection of lady Layton was, at

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this era of Miss Wentworth's life, particu larly desirable; and though it had been fixed that sir George should ultimately receive her hand at Adderfield, her residence with the females of his family until that period was in every point of view proper.

The observations of the father and son, in their ride home, turned chiefly on the characters of the Miss Beverlys. Sir Ormsby depicted the gentleness of Louisa as truly interesting. Sidney believed her amiable; but he preferred the enjouement of Fanny.

"You do not understand the road," said

the baronet, petulantly. "Give me your seat, Sidney-I can manage the reins bet

ter."

Sidney resigned his seat. He saw that his father wished indeed to take the reins; but he wisely declined all controversy.

We will leave them to their journey, and return to Grace, who though perfectly happy in the smiling perspective of her fate, was sensibly alive to that of her friend.

Yet

Yet the solitude of her chamber did not in the least exhilirate her hopes. On the contrary, she recollected Sidney had exhibited equal traits of sympathy towards a female servant, to whom an accident had happened; she remembered that his humanity had dictated those attentions and exertions which, to his equal, would have been highly flattering. "Oh, no," said Grace, as she dismissed the painful subject from her mind, "woman may suffer, but she must suffer magnanimously. I think," said the animated and selected girl, "that I could be a Spartan in such a case—nay, I am sure I could."

That Miss Wentworth thought as she said, admits not of a doubt; but she was not qualified to judge. She was sought, and Louisa sued; we grant it was in secret. Oh may all women own this reserve! may they ever rely on the love rather than on the gratitude of man!

It seems a satire, not to say a reflection, on the sex, to use such an apostrophe; but I would

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I would sooner cling to the cypress which shadowed the tomb of hopeless love, than share in the transient happiness to which an unsought heart must submit.

CHAP.

CHAP. II.

"Ever note, Lucilius,

When love begins to sicken and decay,

It useth an enforced ceremony.

There are no tricks in plain and simple faith."

A PROFESSED novel-reader is in a manner prepared for all contingencies. They possess a sort of prescience, and from habit can unravel the plot, long before its appointed termination. This foreknowledge has always appeared to me to deduce from the interest of the novel; and so anxious am I to avoid this error, that I would, if possible, crush the vanity of every speculator who should dare to anticipate my plans; and here, lest a few words in the preceding chapter should have led to a belief that lady John Nugent was the lady whom

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