CHAPTER VIII.

Whom call we gay
? That honour has been long
The boast of vain pretenders to the name.
The innocent are gay; the lark is gay,
That dries his feathers, saturate with dew,
Beneath the rosy cloud, while yet the beams
Of day-spring overshoot his humble nest;
The peasant too, a witness of his song,
Himself a songster, is as gay as he :
But save me from the gaiety of those

Whose head-aches nail them to a noon-day bed.

COWPER.

WHATEVER Sorrow Lady Emily felt at leaving the scenes of her youth, whatever cloud had come over her from the unforeseen circumstances which had recently occurred, she was at an age when the excitement of novelty went far in dissipating her sorrows and her fears. General Montgomery lodged at a private hotel in Sackville-street, and did not announce his arrival to any of his town

friends; wishing to escape with as little observation as might be, from a certain crowd of idlers, who he knew would be ready enough to flock around him, so long as they believed him to be gifted with wealth and the world's consideration; and as the moment was not yet come when he chose to declare his fallen fortunes, he dreaded the influx of these persons, which would, in some degree, rob him of his time and his tranquillity.

Yet he did not feel justified in entirely depriving his Emily of the possible chances which might occur of her making some valuable acquaintances in the world; and he determined therefore to write to Mrs. Neville, a person whom he had known from his earliest years, and request her to take charge of his niece during their stay in the metropolis; for although she had many ridiculous points about her, Mrs. Neville was esteemed by all, for the sterling truth and honesty of her character. It was hardly possible to suppose that the note could have reached its destination, ere Mrs. Neville came in person to reply to it. They heard her scramble from her carriage, and, scarcely allowing the servants time to put down the step, she had actually reached the room where

they were, before General Montgomery and Lady Emily had recovered from their surprise. As she came up-stairs, she screamed to the waiter who attended her: "How is the General? I wonder what has brought him to town; something unexpected, I am sure. It is beyond belief that he should come here so late in the season. I don't understand it. Well, to be sure, these stairs are so steep! let me sit down, I am quite out of breath. Oh! there you are-how do you do, dear Lady Emily? Out of my way, let me sit down; I cannot speak to any of you till I have rested myself. Well, such stairs! they would do for the Tower of Babel."

"I am truly happy to see you, my dear Mrs. Neville," said the General, approaching, and taking her hand; "and to see you looking so well."

"I wish I could return the compliment, with all my heart; but you look very ill indeed, my dear General. Why, what have you been about?" (taking him to the window, and staring in his face) "it is beyond belief, upon my honour it is! I never saw a man so changed in such a short space of time; but there's my Lady Emily too,

as thin as a thread-paper! For my part I don't understand it—a pretty creature though, General! quite charming, truly, fat or thin; and as for Miss Macalpine, my friend there, she's much as she was. It is beyond belief how precisely she looks as she did ten years ago; charming, charming"-(aside to Lady Emily) "a perfect Egyptian mummy," (aloud) "but that is the comfort of growing old; then one don't care how one looks, does one, Miss Macalpine ?"

"There's no' ane auld," said Miss Macalpine, reddening with anger, and forcing a smile at the same time; "there's no' ane auld, save ane whom we needna name in gude company; and I think aebody's right to keep themsels as neat and trimlike as possible. So lang's we are in the warld, we had better be as agreeable as we can, and no' mak' oursels like daft bodies, or gaberlunzie randies."

That was a hit at Mrs. Neville's dress and address, which, however, was quite lost upon her; for she never knew one word in ten that Miss Macalpine uttered.

"Charming, charming!" said Mrs. Neville; "Miss Macalpine is so entertaining!"

"And,” said that latter lady, going on with her own ideas; " and we suld aye be striving to be as pleasing as we can."

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Pleasing? hunch! hunch! pleasing! Yes, my dear Miss Macalpine, in a sort of a way; but not by our charms. You and I have not much chance in that way."

"It may be your way to be no' caring whatna figure ye are, but it's no' mine: we differ quite, Mrs. Neville."

"Well, well, never mind! But, my dear General, I say, what was the story about the mask? It is beyond belief how it has been talked over at least nine days, the usual life of a wonder in London! It is beyond belief how I heard of it wherever I went. Were you not very much

shocked ?"

This question brought back all sorts of terrific images to Lady Emily; she turned very pale, and said in a half whisper, "Do not, my dear Mrs. Neville, talk of that; I wish you would not bring back the remembrance of it."

"Ah, I suppose, General, that is the reason why you left the Hall at this unusual season. I don't wonder! Well, it is to me beyond belief,