rite scene of all at the close of day....here they delighted, amidst the fragrance of exhaling plants and flowers, to watch the sun gradually fading from the summits of the mountains, the evening yielding the world to night; and to listen to the soft and expiring sounds, so well according with the fading scenery, and ever, in the country, the certain precursor of the weary labourer's hour of repose. Hither Elizabeth frequently brought her guitar and harp, from both of which she had been taught by her mother to draw the most exquisite tones, such as sensibility could not hear without emotion.

The kind of sylvan wildness which prevailed in the garden, was what rendered it so particularly pleasing to its owners; it was large, and encompassed with steep banks, completely overspread with shrubwood, and topped in many places with old thorns, hollies, and blackberry bushes; contiguous to the house it was laid out for flowers; the centre was devoted to vegetables; and at the extremity was an orchard, interspersed with hazel copses: a little rill here wildly meandered through the soil, till it came to a deep hollow beneath a jutting rock, into which it fell, forming a spacious pool of limpid water, planted round with oziers, in the soft but incessant rustling of which there is something of the melancholy sound of the Eolian harp; nor can this be wondered at, since the same invisible musician plays on both.

The next morning, while at breakfast, the following note was delivered to Munro :

"I'r was but yesterday I had the pleasure of hearing I had a neighbour of your description; the moment I was apprized of the agreeable circumstance, I should have hastened to pay my compliments to you, but for a sudden attack of the gout, which prevents me

at present, quitting the house; my confinement to it, however, I shall less regret than would otherwise be the case, if you will now and then favour me with your society. The pleasure of your company to dinner to-day, at five o'clock, will confer a particular obligation on,

Firgrove, Friday Morning.

"Sir,

"Your most obedient servant,
"O'SINISTER."

It may readily be imagined Munro had no hesitation in accepting this polite invitation; still, however, he confined to his own bosom the hopes it tended to confirm, lest, after all, they should be disappointed.

At the appointed hour he repaired to Firgrove, and was ushered into a sumptuous drawing-room, where he was presently joined by the Peer, in his morning gown and flannel shoes, for which undress illness was his apology. His Lordship appeared about fifty, and was, both in manners and appearance, the finished gentleman....to all the politeness of the old school uniting all the ease of the new one. His features, though somewhat injured by time, were still handsome; and there was an animation and keenness in his countenance, which proved him stil! in possession of all the mental vigour of youth, and endowed with no small share of penetration; he had literally indeed, as Shakespeare says, a hawking eye, such as seemed calculated to dive into the very recesses of the heart.

His reception of Munro was truly flattering....they dined tête-a-tête ; and, during dinner, and for a short time after the attendants were withdrawn, the politics of the day, the liberal methods lately devised for the encouragement of agriculture, and other useful arts, were the topics they principally discussed. The conversation then, in consequence of a question or two from the Peer to Munro, relative to his connexions in Scotland, be

came more particular and interesting; till at length the former, but in the most delicate manner, hinted to his guest his perfect knowledge of the cruelty and injustice he had met with from his family, and his ardent wish or render him a service.

Notwithstanding Munro's expectation of something of this nature, his emotion was quite as great at the moment as if he had not entertained one of the kind.

"Good Heaven!" he involuntary and mentally exclaimed, “in how many unexpected ways does Providence interfere for man! how little, when listening to the rough effusions of Farmer Stubbs's honest heart, did I imagine I should ever be indebted to him for a powerful friend!"

With all the warmth of gratitude he thanked the Peer for his proffered kindness; and now, the ice being broke, his situation was freely and candidly discussed. The result of this discussion was, Lord O'Sinister's insisting that Mr. Osmond should in future be considered his care, continued at the university the usual time, and immediately to commence the study of divinity, for the purpose of qualifying himself for a living of considerable value in the gift of his Lordship, and the incumbent of which was at this time so far advanced in life, that it might reasonably be expected it would soon become

vacant.

"And now, my worthy Sir," cried Lord O'Sinister, when this matter was settled, looking at Munro, with a countenance beaming with the satisfaction of a well pleased mind," how can I serve you?"

"Oh, my Lord, in serving my son you serve me," replied the greatly agitated Munro.

"Well, well, that may be," returned the Peer, smilingly," but I never approved of parents being dependent on their children, new connections but too frequently causing old one's to be neglected; not, I confess, with impunity, but the hour of remorse often arrives too late ; so tell me what kind of situation you would like, for I cannot think your present laborious one of a farmer, so ill according with your former habits, can be pleasing to you."

"It certainly neither is or ever was, my Lord, but necessity is an arbitrary power, at whose shrine inclination is often obliged to be immolated."

"What say you to returning to your former profession ?"

Munro started, and remained silent for a few minutes ...." My Lord," he then said, "I will be very candid with you; I should be very unwilling to enter into a situation that would be liable to separate me from my family, as a military one certainly would, or else oblige me to expose them to difficulties and dangers they are not accustomed to."

"You entirely mistook my meaning," cried Lord O'Sinister with quickness, "if you thought I had an idea of offering any thing to your acceptance that would reduce you to the alternative of either leaving your family, or else introducing them into scenes of danger....what I meant was, merely to know whether, if a military appointment that would not render you liable to be ordered abroad could be procured for you, you would have any objection to accept it....for instance, an adjutancy of militia?"

"The thing, of all others, I should like replied Munro eagerly, and with a flush of joy upon his cheek.

"I am truly happy to hear you say so," returned his Lordship," since I have one at my disposal, which, from this moment, I consider yours.'

"My Lord, I cannot, cannot," said Munro falteringly, and with his hand spread upon his labouring breast, speak the sense I have of your kindness."

"Well, well," returned the Peer, with a still more expressive smile than he had before given him," that it may not be oppressive, I'll point out a way by which you may make me some requital for it....you see Mr. Munro, I am what is called a plain spoken man, but I love to come to the point at once, since I think there cannot be a greater proof of folly than to waste minutes," the fleeting minutes of too short a life," as the poet justly and emphatically styles them, which might be usefully employed, in unnecessary punctilios. If a man can render me a service, I like at once to ask him....will he? if I can dọ

him one, I should think myself undeserving of any gratitude for it, if I did not directly tell him so. The service you can render me is by repairing immediately to Ireland, in the northern parts of which kingdom I have a very considerable property, and endeavouring to conciliate the confidence of my dependants and tenants, and induce them to acquiesce quietly in the measures now pursuing by government for raising a militia there, and to which, either through ignorance, obstinacy, or the machinations of evil-minded persons, perhaps all together, they, like the majority of the common people, are averse, and trying to resist; should they continue to do so, some blame will probably attach to me, as, from the influence my property gives me in the county, and my being appointed to the command of the regiment there raising, and in which I now beg you to understand your adjutancy is, it will, perhaps, be supposed that if I exerted myself properly, the reverse would be the case. To let government imagine I was not anxious to forward their views, would be to do myself a serious, in all probability an irreparable injury; yet, notwithstanding my thorough conviction of this, I am, at this period, so situated, that without putting myself to the greatest inconvenience, I cannot go to Ireland; in consequence, I have, for some time past, been looking out for some friend, to whom I might safely entrust my interests in that quarter; but, till now (don't imagine I flatter,) did not meet with one to whom I thought I could: my wish is, that you should repair directly to Ireland, take possession of the mansionhouse at Temora, and use every means in your power to gain, as I have already said, the good will of my people there, which obtained, all the rest will follow of course; for once obtain the regard and confidence of an Irishman, and you may almost persuade him to what you please. Will it be inconvenient to you to set off to mor

row?"

Munro hesitated to reply; there was, 'tis true, but one obstacle to his immediate departure, but that was insurmountable, being nothing less than a want of cash, that grand mover, now-a-days, both of animate and inanimate bodies; a want so painful to the feelings of a man of delica