"Oh, the time will quickly pass," said Amelia; "and we shall have, I hope, many, very many happy hours in each other's society in the interim. It is not as if we were to be separated for five years.'

At this moment Stanley's cab was announced; and although he soon after took leave with great gentleness, in driving to town he developed all the wild impetuosity of his nature.

Bob occupied the smallest conceivable space in the extreme corner of the vehicle. He perceived at a glance that there was something rather wrong, and winked, with a view to the acknowledgment of the quickness of his perception, several times in dark parts of the road. The horse flew over the ground with unparalleled swiftness; for albeit the whip was not used, an occasional angry whiss! seemed to strike the conviction into him that nothing less than lightning speed would do; and hence, on reaching town, his wide crimson nostrils were expanded to the utmost stretch, while his neck, back, and haunches were covered with foam.

Five years! Stanley felt it impossible to wait five pooh! he could not, he would not! Yet what could be done? Why, what must be done in such a case? And yet Amelia was a gentle, patient creature, whom he knew the idea of an elopement would shock. No matter: she loved him-he firmly believed that she loved him fondly, passionately; and this was in his view sufficient to justify the attempt. On the following day, therefore, he started again for Richmond; and as he then appeared to be somewhat more tranquil, Bob did what he dared not do at the time, namely, venture to intimate something which had reference to his strong disapproval of the state of his horse the night preceding. An angry glance from Stanley, however, convinced him that it was not even then a safe course to pursue, and he, therefore, under the circumstances, wisely held his peace.

On his arrival Stanley found the Captain out, and Amelia walking thoughtfully in the garden. She appeared to be somewhat dejected, while her beautiful Italian greyhound had dropped his tail, and was looking in the face of his gentle mistress with all the intelligence of which those animals are capable, apparently with the view of ascer taining what weighed upon her heart.

"Amelia!" cried Stanley; and she turned and flew to meet him, and the dog, as it bounded up the path, seemed filled with delight. "I scarcely expected this happiness to-day," said Amelia, smiling as she blushed. "I much feared my dear father-that is—but, come, come, you must not be impatient! We are yet young. The time will swiftly fly away, will it not?"

"Amelia," said Stanley, still holding her hands and watching her eyes intently, "I cannot wait five years."

"Come, you must not speak so," said Amelia, gaily. "I shall really begin to be jealous if you do."

"Then you cannot really love me. Where love is, there confidence also must be ; and confidence and jealousy cannot co-exist.' "Then," said Amelia, who never dreamed of opposing anything he advanced. “Then I never can be jealous, for I do love you-dearly!" "If then you do love me

"If!" interrupted Amelia, playfully pouting her beautiful lips. "Well then, as you love me, you will not deny me one favour." "One favour! What is it ?"

"Nay, nay!—you must promise me first."

"My Stanley, I will promise. Secure in your honour and the purity of every motive by which you are guided, I feel that I can deny you nothing. What is it?"

Stanley paused. He felt that he might be too precipitate, and therefore at length said, "My dearest love, I will tell you-before I leave."

No, now: pray, pray tell me now: it is cruel to keep me in suspense."

Amelia, we are, as you have said, both young. It is hence that your father named this odious five years' probation; but why should we waste in doubts and fears the sweetest hours of our youth-the very period at which we are most susceptible of happiness?-why, why, my love, when we have that happiness within our reach should we fail to embrace it ?"

"I admit," said Amelia, "that it appears a long time: but then, perhaps, you will be able to prevail on papa to name a somewhat shorter period."

"Impossible! The last words he uttered whan conversing on this subject were that he was upon this point inflexible; that nothing on earth could alter his expressed determination. Why then should this be? Granted that we are young: what brilliant examples have we of the union of persons under precisely similar circumstances! Why should we be forbidden to act like others? Why should the ban be peculiarly upon us! My Amelia!-do you believe that we shall be happy?"

66

Indeed, indeed, I do: oh, most happy!"

"Then why not at once? Amelia," he continued, as he perceiv ed her eyes suddenly droop, "you understand me. I have done all that a man of honour could do. I have solicited-earnestly solicitedyour hand from the hands of your father, who has consented to our union, but with a proviso which both you and I deem unnecessary, if not absolutely unjust. What more can I do? My love, I can do no more, and, therefore, as we cannot at once, with his consent, be united, there is but one course which, in justice to ourselves-—” Stanley-Stanley !" said Amelia, "do not name it. As you love me say no more on that subject, I beseech you! I cannot, must not, dare not entertain the thought."

Reflect, my sweet Amelia; reflect calmly upon the subject. I do not require an answer now!-say a week hence-a month!"

"My Stanley, I will not love you if you urge this matter further. Indeed, you must never allude to it again. A year, a century, would be insufficient to win my consent to that. But you are not serious! Say that you were but jesting, and I will love you more dearly than ever."

"Amelia, I cannot say that. I am serious."

"Oh! Stanley; consider well what it is you would have me do! Think of my dear father and of my mother, my kind, fond mother, whose affection for me is, and ever has been, most ardent ! would not have me utterly destroy that affection?"

"I would not," replied Stanley.

You

"I knew it! I knew that you would not. Oh, forgive me for harbouring the thought."

"But, my love, you take a superficial view of this matter. Your

mother might weep, and your father might be angry; but all this would be ephemeral. They would soon become reconciled."

"Never, Stanley, never! My poor mother, indeed, might, if her heart was not broken by the shock; but my father never would! Oh, Stanley, Stanley, banish the thought for ever. I never can, I

"When you are calm, my love; reflect when you are calm."

"I am calm," rejoined Amelia firmly; "quite calm. I love youyou know that I love you-most fondly; but never, Stanley, never will I take that step."

Stanley said no more. He dropped his hands, which still held hers; and having led her across the lawn into the parlour, he stood over her in silence for some moments, when, kissing her brow affectionately, he left her in tears.

On

He paced the lawn for some considerable time in deep thought. He could not tell what course to pursue. Eventually, however, he walked round to the stables, ordered his cab, and drove towards town. the road he met the Captain, who endeavoured to prevail upon him to return; but, without the slightest manifestation of disappointment, he declined and drove on.

He

Poor Amelia had no idea of his having left. As she sat absorbed in tears she expected him every moment to re-enter the room. She dried her eyes, and looked again and again towards the lawn. She could not see him. She went into the garden. No Stanley was there. surely could not have left her so! She would not believe that he had. Even when she ascertained that he had driven off, she felt sure that he would shortly return; but when the Captain came home and explained that he had seen him, her worst fears were realised, and although she laboured hard, and to some extent successfully, to conceal her emotion, the thought of his having left her under the circumstances without a word, was, indeed, the most bitter pang she had ever experienced.

She had still, however, the hope of seeing him on the morrow; but then the morrow came without Stanley. Well, surely on the next day! The next day also came without Stanley; and the next and the next: a week, which seemed a year, passed, but Stanley did not

come.

The Captain thought it strange, and sent Albert to ascertain if he were ill: but excuses came back without Stanley. Another week passed. The Captain sent no more. He began to regard it as a matter of extreme delicacy under the circumstances; and Albert left for Cambridge.

Amelia now called into action all the power at her command, with the view of enabling her to bear up against it. But then the thought of having lost him for ever! The third week passed. The colour left her cheeks: her eyes lost their wonted fire-her spirits their usual buoyancy yet what could be done? She felt that to write to him would be extremely incorrect; and yet could there be anything very indelicate in the pursuit of such a course? When a month had passed she could endure it no longer. She must write, and did to the following effect:

"MY DEAR STANLEY,

"If Amelia be not utterly despised you will come down to Richmond at once. Oh! Stanley, I cannot endure it. I am distracted.

It is cruel, very cruel. My heart is too full to say more, but believe me to be still your most affectionate, although almost broken-hearted "AMELIA."

On the receipt of this, Stanley-albeit he could not help feeling its force-experienced more than that common satisfaction which springs from the success of a deeply laid scheme. It developed precisely that state of mind to which he had been ardently anxious to bring her. He had kept away expressly in order to prove that he had enslaved her by making her feel that his absence was intolerable. He therefore detained the servant whom she had secretly despatched, and wrote the following answer :—

"MY OWN SWEET GIRL,

"You are still, and ever will be, dearer to me than life; but my absence has been prompted by the conviction, that during the probationary period which has been named, and which, indeed, you have sanctioned, it were better, as that period must elapse, for us to communicate with each other as seldom as possible, lest I may be tempted to renew those solicitations which appear to be so utterly abhorrent to your feelings. I will, however, as you desire it, drive down in the morning, when I hope to find you perfectly well.

"I am, my Amelia, still your own

"STANLEY."

This greatly relieved her. It reanimated her hopes. She felt that she was still beloved by him whom she adored, and was comparatively happy; and when he came the next morning she endeavoured to smile with her accustomed sweetness, and forbore to employ even the accents of reproof; but Stanley perceived that she had endured the most intense mental agony, and that, as he was still most affec tionately attentive, she loved him if possible more fondly than before.

The subject was not renewed. Not a syllable having reference to his absence passed his lips, save to the Captain, to whom he made certain specious excuses. He dined there; and as he endeavoured to enslave her still more by calling up all his powers of fascination, he left her so happy! He went the next day and the next; still not a single syllable on the subject was breathed; but, on the day following that, he seized the earliest opportunity for renewing the attack, having found that he had so completely gained her heart as to render resistance improbable in the extreme.

"My dear Amelia," said he, as they sat in the arbour; "I cannot of course tell, love, how you feel; but really, in your society, I experience such happiness!"

"Indeed, my Stanley, it is mutual," said Amelia. "It is hence that your absence induced so much agony."

Why, then," said Stanley, "should we ever be absent from each other? Amelia! forgive me; but I feel that I must again urge my suit. I must again try to prevail upon you to listen to that which"Stanley, Stanley!" said Amelia, bursting into tears; "pray, pray do not mention that subject again."

"I know your extreme delicacy," he continued, "and appreciate it highly; but let me reason with you for a moment. You believe that your parents have your happiness at heart?"

"Oh! yes," replied Amelia.

"Of that I am convinced."

"How then can you believe that they would be angry to see you happy?"

"I do not," said Amelia. "I feel that nothing could impart to them greater delight."

"Then you do not expect to be happy with me?"

"O Stanley! you know I feel sure that our happiness would be perfect."

"Then how can you suppose that when they see that you are happy, their anger will last?"

Amelia's head drooped, and she was silent.

"Come," continued Stanley, "come, look at this matter in a rational point of view. I believe, fully believe, their affection to be firm; but I cannot associate firmness with the love which one venial act of disobedience can for ever destroy. My sweet girl! confide in me!-All, all, will be well. Come, say, my love, say that you will at once be mine!"

"O Stanley!" cried Amelia, who was able to resist no longer, "you are, indeed, my soul's guide. You will be kind to me, my love? Oh, yes!—I feel, I know that you will be kind to me!"

"This is a moment of happiness! Now do I feel that you love me indeed! My dear girl, words are insufficient to express the ardour of my affection: my life shall be devoted to prove it. Prepare, my sweet, at once. Let our happiness to-morrow be complete. Once over and all will be well: I may depend upon your firmness!" "Stanley! I will be firm!"

They now returned from the arbour, and, after dinner, Stanley, having delivered into her hands a paper containing a few brief instructions, and extorted from her another declaration that her mind was made up, left with the view of making the arrangements which were essential to the performance of the highly important business of the morrow.

The morrow came; and at ten o'clock Stanley was at breakfast at an inn at Richmond; and at eleven a lady closely veiled, enveloped in a bronze satin cloak and attended by a servant, inquired for Mr. Fitzgerald, and was immediately shown-according to instructions --into the room which Stanley occupied. He received this lady with great formality, and directed the waiter, by whom she had been introduced, to send his servant up immediately; but the moment they were alone Stanley embraced her, exclaiming, "My noble girl! now have I proved your devotion."

"My Stanley," said Amelia, who trembled with great violence and looked pale as death as she spoke-"thus far-thus far, have I kept my word; but, on my knees, I implore you to urge me no farther."

"Hush!" cried Stanley, raising her, as Bob, who knew his cue, knocked at the door. "Confide in me, my sweet wife !-Still, still confide in me! Come in," he added, and Bob most respectfully entered, hat in hand.

With all the delicacy of which he was capable, and with innumerable cheering expressions, Stanley divested Amelia of her bonnet and cloak, which he placed with great tact upon Bob, who appeared to be inexpressibly delighted. He was, it is true, somewhat shorter than Amelia; but that was of no great importance, as it merely made his train a little longer, and while he felt that the style of the bonnet became him well, he held the muff in the most lady-like manner possible.