flight fancy was taking over the future. Hope, like an angel, had arisen in her heart; and every flower of the summer sprang up beneath its feet. Youth is the French count, who takes the Yorick of Sterne for that of Shakespeare: it combines better than it calculates its wishes are prophecies of their own fulfilment.

To meet Lorraine again, with all the advantages she really possessed, and with Lady Mandeville to set those advantages in a proper light -to have him not insensible to them—to be enabled to shew the perfect disinterestedness of her attachment, from his brother's marriage— all these happy conclusions were, in her mind, the work of a moment. We build our castles on the golden sand;-the material is too rich to be durable.

From that day a visible change passed over Emily. She played with the children as usual; but now it was as if she entered herself into the enjoyment she gave them. Still, she was sometimes abstracted and thoughtful; but now, instead of a look of weariness and dejection, she started from her fit of absence with a beautiful flush of confusion and pleasure; and the sub

ject of the next spring, from which she had hitherto shrunk, was now entered into with all the eagerness of anticipation.

"How much Miss Arundel is improved!" said Lord Mandeville. "I do not know whether our coming here has done Frank or herself most good."

Lady Mandeville only smiled.

CHAPTER VII.

Marriage and hanging go by destiny.

Old Proverb.

EVERY street in London was Macadamizing— every shop was selling bargains; — the pale pink, blue, and primrose ribands were making one effort for final sale, before the purples and crimsons of winter set in. Women in black gowns, and drab-coloured shawls hung upon their shoulders as if they were pegs in a passage-men in coats something between a greatcoat and a frock-strings of hackney-coaches which moved not-stages which drove along with an empty, rattling sound-and carts laden with huge stones, now filled Piccadilly. All the windows, that is to say all of any pretensions, had their shutters closed, excepting here and there an open parlour one, where the old woman left in care of the house sat for her amusement.

Every thing bespoke the season of one of those migratory disorders, which, at certain periods, depopulate London. Still, one mansion, which the time ought to have unpeopled, was evidently inhabited; and in one of its rooms-small, but luxurious enough for a sultana in the Arabian Nights, or a young gentleman of the present day-were seated two persons in earnest conversation.

After a time, one of them—it was Mr. Delawarr rose and left the room, saying, "I own the truth of your remarks—it makes good the observation, that a bystander sees more of the game than those who are playing; - and now let me remind you of the assistance you can render me; that will be a more powerful motive than all I could urge of your own ambition and advancement."

Lorraine rose, and paced the room in an excited and anxious mood: he felt conscious of

his own great powers, and of the many advantages he possessed for bringing them into action. But pleasures are always most delightful when we look back upon, or forward to them; and he felt an indolent reluctance to turn from the voice of the charmer charm she never so wisely and assume those enduring habits of

industry and energy which are as much required as even talent in an Englishman's public career. He only wanted the influence of a more powerful motive than the theoretic conviction of the excellence of such exertion; but the necessity was even now on its road.

Noon and the post arrived together; and they brought that letter which had given Lord Etheringhame such trouble in its composition, announcing his engagement with Lady Adelaide Merton. Lorraine was as completely taken by surprise as it was well possible for a gentleman to be. His brother's marriage had long ceased to enter into his calculations; but if it were possible for any human being to be without one grain of selfishness in their composition, Edward Lorraine was that being; and his first vague astonishment over, his next feeling was to rejoice over an event so certain to restore his brother's mind to a more healthy tone - to recall him to his place in society; and never was a letter more frank or affectionate in its congratulations than the one he forthwith despatched to the Earl. He could not but feel curious to know how the conquest had been managed, and perhaps thought any other match would have been as good. Still, a young man is rarely very