"Oh, hush, Fanny, hush," said Matthew, laughing heartily and drawing her away. "Oh, do let me go, Matthew," said she, struggling, “and I won't say any thing again." 66 What do you think of this, Rosina?" said Lewis, in a low voice, pointing to a line in one of Madame de Genlis's works, which he was not malicious enough to read aloud"Une coquette se fait un jeu cruel d'inspirer des sentimens qu'elle est décidée à ne partager jamais." "Well!" said Rosina, hardily, though she coloured at the application. Lewis looked at her and seeing nothing to hope for in her countenance, sighed and turned away. "Pray dip for me, Mr. Huntley!" cried she with assumed eagerness. "You promised you would dip for me, and you have not done so yet." "Dip! ay, dive, if you will," replied he, "into the depths of the ocean!" "That would be rather too cruel of me to exact." 66 And do not you love cruelty?" said he expressively. Rosina little thought that he was alluding to Lewis. "Come, here is something about Rosaline. That may stand for Rosina, may not it?" 'Who sees the heavenly Rosaline That, like a rude and savage man of Inde, Kisses the base ground with obedient breast?"" Rosina laughed. "Oh, pray dip for me, Mr. Huntley!" cried Miss Phœbe. 66 Certainly," he replied, again opening Milton. "But who is this, what thing of sea or land, Oh this won't do at all," cried he. "Yes, yes, pray go on !" implored Miss, Phœbe. Huntley resumed "Dear! I'm sure I am not like a ship," said Phœbe, glancing at her canary lutestring. "No, not the least in the world! I told you it was quite mal-à-propos," said Huntley, turning from her, and exchanging an arch look with Rosina. "What game have you there, ladies and gentlemen, which seems to entertain you so much?" said Mrs. Good, 66 'Sortes Virgilianæ, they call it," said Miss Phoebe, approaching her with a rather dissatisfied air. "It is very entertaining, a little of it, but one gets tired of it in time." 66 Will you favour us with a little music then ?" said Mrs. Good, rising to open the piano. Matthew hastened to save her the trouble, and having launched Miss Phœbe into a solo, returned to Lewis. 66 "I agree with Miss Phoebe," said Lewis in a low voice, glancing at the same time towards Rosina and Huntley, who were deep in flirtation, "that one may push Sortes Virgilianæ a little too far. Mr. Huntley has, under their protection, insulted or flattered almost every one of the party." And did not you take advantage of them to push Rosy rather hard?" inquired Matthew. "I saw her blush pretty deeply." The little party at the window being now broken up, Hannah and Mr. Russell approached the table. "So you have been playing at Sortes Virgilianæ," said Mr. Russell. 66 Had you any clever hits?" Some rather hard hits," said Matthew; "they that play at bowls, you know the rest." Mr. Russell looked up from the book he had casually opened, struck by some rather daring speech of Huntley's. He glanced across the table; saw Rosina, brilliant in beauty and reckless spirits; Huntley, whose back was towards him, rattling on with great animation and obvious encouragement; and Lewis biting his lip as he silently turned over a portfolio of prints. He looked down again on his book, but it was absently, and he caught most of the conversation. Miss Phœbe coming to the end of her air variée,' Huntley's and Rosina's voices were sans accompaniment, and the flirtation paused in mid career. Mrs. Good now asked Rosina to play. She required rather more pressing than usual, but at length placed herself at the piano. She began one of Lewis's favourite songs. Mr. Russell could not help being amused by Lewis's movements. First, he started at hearing the well-known symphony, but continued turning over the prints then he paused with his eyes immoveably fixed on the engraving before him, but evidently not thinking of it; then he hastily looked round, but encountering a side view of Huntley, resumed his original position; still however, intently listening at length, when the second verse commenced, with a line of which he particularly admired the sentiment, Lewis arose, pushed away the prints, and in another moment, was leaning over the piano." "'Sweet Helen' has conquered!" thought Mr. Russell; and he turned to see if Hannah had been observing the little scene; but she was speaking to Fanny Good. Fanny was called away, and Mr. Russell approached Hannah with a book in his hand. "I have been trying," said he, “my luck at the Sortes, but I have not opened yet, on a single applicable passage. Let me make one more attempt, and if that is unsuccessful, I shall give it up in despair.' He opened at hazard, and began to read. A smile stole. over his countenance. "This is pretty, is not it?" said he; and sitting down by Hannah, he read in an under tone the following passage. 66 6 'Happiness is the natural design of all the world; and every thing we see done is in order to attain it. My imagination places it in friendship. By friendship, I mean an entire communication of thoughts, wishes, interests, and pleasures, being undivided: a mutual esteem, which naturally carries with it a pleasing sweetness of conversation, and terminates in the desire of making one another happy, without being forced to run into visits, noise, and hurry, which serve rather to trouble than compose the thoughts of any reasonable creature. I take you to have sense enough not to think this romantic.' "What do you think of it?" said he. "I think that it is romantic," said Hannah smiling," "but very beautiful, and not impossible." "Do you think it not impossible, merely from judging of your own mind, or from any example you have observed in the conduct of others?" Hannah considered, and replied, "From both. My own feelings make me believe that I could be happy in the cultivation of such a friendship; and I also think that a friendship such as you have described does exist, between my mother and myself." VOL. I.-K. Mr. Russell's dark eyes said very flattering things at that moment, if Hannah could but have translated their meaning. "But Hannah," said he, "the friendship spoken of in this book is supposed to exist between persons of different sexes. "In that case," said Hannah, slightly blushing, "would not the feeling be called love?" Matthew here interrupted them by offering a plate of sandwiches. There had been a little stir going on in the room for some time, on account of the arrival of Lady Worral's carriage, and the supper having consequently to be hurried. Her ladyship never gave suppers, and was angry with those who did; she therefore cast an evil eye on the cakes, jellies, and blanc-manges which Mrs. Good's hospitality had provided, and which the servants in their haste had set in wrong places, declaring she would not touch one of them, yet nevertheless tasting every thing Mr. Good put upon her plate. She was duly cloaked, handed out, and bowed away; and then Mr. Good, declaring he had no notion of letting the old lady break up the party, went his rounds with the various good things, which he pressed every one to taste. The young men followed his example. and Lewis and Huntley, each bringing Rosina some trifle, nearly broke a plate between them in trying which should be first. 66 I was the commissioned," said Huntley, laughing. "And I had the merit of guessing the lady's wishes before they were named," said Lewis. "How silly to dispute about a trifle!" cried Rosina. "Lewis came first, therefore I command you, Mr. Huntley, to eat what you have brought yourself." Oh, that all ladies' commands could be as pleasantly obeyed!" he exclaimed. "That is a double entendre," said Matthew; "do you mean that the peculiarity of the pleasure exists in obeying the lady, or eating the trifle?" "What a question for a gentleman to answer !" returned Huntley. 666 Gentleman!" said Lewis to himself. "He is but a painter. Perhaps if he were a gentleman, I might make him either answer it or answer for it." 66 Lewis, will you be so kind as to give me a glass of water?" said Hannah, who saw that something had vexed him. With pleasure," said he, starting at the sound of her gentle voice-" will you not let me put a little wine in it?” "None, I thank you." 66 If you were any one but Miss Hannah Wellford," returned he smiling. "I should accuse you of having covertly reprimanded my negligence in not having asked you to take wine with me.' 66 But, as I am Miss Hannah Wellford," replied she, "you will, I hope, give me credit for not meaning to affront, even when appearances are against me-and perhaps" (in rather a lower tone,) "you will extend your credit to others also." "I wish all others were as single-hearted," said he quitting her to fulfil her request. At the same moment, Rosina said, "Here Mr. Huntley; as Mr. Pennington brought me the plate, I shall insist on your replacing it on the table." "How evenly you hold the balances between your slaves!" "What is that about slaves ?" cried Mr. Russell. "Are you discussing the slave-trade, Mr. Huntley? curious paragraph on it in this paper." There is a Huntley caught in the trap, was forced to glance over the paragraph; and before he laid down the newspaper, he perceived some intelligence which made him forget Rosina, and enter into conversation with Mr. Good and Mr. Russell. The party now broke up, and Huntley's lodgings lying in the same way as Mrs. Wellford's cottage he accompanied them to the gate, walking at the side of Mrs. Wellford, while the girls, arm in arm, followed closely behind. Lewis lighted his bed candle the moment he entered the vicarage parlour. "Good night, Mr. Russell," said he. "Good night, Lewis. I hope you have had a pleasant evening." "Very!" replied Lewis with strong emphasis. "Milton might well call woman a 'cleaving mischief!'" 66 Come, come, Lewis," said Mr. Russell, 'don't go to your pillow in wrath. The fault was not all the lady's.' 19 Huntley led her on you mean! Consummate puppy! If. 27 "No ifs, Lewis, just yet," interrupted his friend playfully I did not mean Huntley; I was thinking of yourself.” "I! what have I done I will tell you. You have by your attention and flattery turned the head of a very lively, inexperienced young girl, already too prone to vanity. Her heart has had no time to imbibe any depth of feeling; she is proud of her power over you and |