Lord Tancred, at his villa, where we found some young ladies had just arrived before us

"You have company ?" said Lord Castleton, to one of the daughters of the house.

"No;" said the young lady, "no company, only two or three of those odd people that my father thinks it right to invite now and then, because their father and he are so connected in business."

But even in this, be it observed, Lord Tancred stood alone, and was quizzed for it, to which he good-naturedly submitted.

After this discussion, Granville and myself fell upon other matters, and being not a little interested to understand the mysterious allusions between him and Lady Hungerford the evening before, he readily explained, nay seemed to wish to do so, in order to ask my opinion.

It seems that in the morning visit which he paid to Berkeley Square, he found the lady alone, except that she was occupied with Pope and his characters of women, which immediately and naturally produced a discussion of the subject. She appeared very indignant with the poet, whom she accused of a total ignorance of the sex, knowing nothing about them, she said, but what Patty Blount and Lady Mary Wortley Montague (neither of them the best authority) chose to tell him.

"As if," said Lady Hungerford,

"there ever

was such a character as Chloe, of whom he incon

sistently says,

'With every pleasing, every prudent part,

Say what can Chloe want-she wants a heart.'"

"I, to try her," said Granville, "observed I thought it the commonest feature in the character of the sex-adding, it was lucky for us-for, if she had a heart, woman would be so irresistible, that no man could ever be his own master, but must crouch at her feet, and be beaten like a spaniel."

"Which you are too proud to do," observed the lady.

"Not so,' replied I; for if I really met with a heart which could respond to mine-could a woman really feel any love but the two sorts which

Pope says absorb her,

"The love of pleasure or the love of sway,"

no votary could feel so resigned or devoted to heaven's will, as I to the heaven of her affection.'

666

Very fine,' observed Lady Hungerford (as I thought with a distant air); but, according to you, then, this capable heart of yours never met with one that was worthy of it.'

“Rather,' replied I, ' I have always been too little gifted to inspire the feeling, without which I could never love; especially among beings whom the poet describes as so changeful, that they "have no characters at all." This he does, you know,

upon the best authority-the cleverest of her sexLady Mary herself. Nay, it is to this inconstancy that the satirical rogue ascribes half their powers:

"Ladies like variegated tulips shew,

'Tis to their changes half their charms we owe."'

"I should be sorry,' said Lady Hungerford, still more gravely, if this were your real opinion. I would never open my doors to you to insult me again; but I know it is not, and I should like, therefore, to know what it really is.'

666

Really, honestly, and frankly ?' asked I.

66 6 Yes.'

“And you will promise not to be offended?' "C'est selon,' answered she, and I thought she grew more particular still.

666

Why then,' said I, 'take it from an apostrophe of Ségur, who at least was sufficiently interested about these "Cynthias of a minute.”

666

Positively,' cried the lady, 'I will not admit of French authority. I deny that Ségur, any more than Pope, knew any thing really about us.'

“Is this nothing,' asked I, ‘or is it the truth ?' and I repeated with animation, I believe, for I felt unusually bold:- Assemblage incomprehensible de vertus et de vices; de bonnes qualités, et de defauts; de courage, et de faiblesse; mais possédant, au plus haut degré, l'art de tout embellir.'

"Tolerably fair, that last,' observed the lady, seeing that I paused, but I suppose something terrible is coming.'

"I went on :-"Qui dit vous connoitre, est un sot.'

"Bad.'

"Qui vous croit, est un dupe.'

"Worse.'

"Qui se livre à vous.

66 6 Shocking!' exclaimed my lady, half offended; 'you need not go on; I would rather not hear any more abuse."

"Abuse!' cried I; hear me out:-Qui se livre à vous, est heureux.'

"Believe me," continued Granville, "when I had finished, all my boldness forsook me. I thought I had gone too far. I could scarcely look at Lady Hungerford to ascertain, if I could, how she took this critical quotation; and, in fact, having said (I thought rather coldly) that the last line endeavoured to compensate for the rest, she changed the subject, to which I did not dare return.'

"This, then, is the last line,'” said I, " which she last night allowed you to retain ?” " I suppose so."

"Good; but did nothing else pass ?"

66

Very little; merely a common-place, such as— 'I suppose you will be at Lord Castleton's to-night?' and I took my departure, leaving her, I thought,

more grave member."

and distant towards me than ever I re

"I am not so experienced as you," observed I, “but I should not augur ill from this gravity; it at least shews there is not indifference, which is the next step to emotion; and emotion once created, may turn to love, as well as to hatred; while a leaden indifference is always fatal."

Granville stared, and at last exclaimed, "Admirably settled! But where the devil did you get this knowledge? Not at Queen's; not from Fothergill, I am certain; nor from the Oxford damsels, I'll answer for it. Yet these are all the sources you had upon such subjects when I left you. But I forgot. Lady Hungerford herself has taken you under her guidance, and perhaps has instructed you in more secrets than that of the parfaitement bonne compagnie.”

I thought my friend had here raised in himself some little hope that I had made out something in his favour from his mistress, so I undeceived him; but it produced in myself the bold desire to do so if I could, or at least, if possible, to sound her, though at a distance, on his account; and the constant access which this gracious lady still allowed me to her presence, I thought might afford an opportu nity for it.

I say still allowed me, because, though, as my instructress in the ways of the beau monde, she was