ferent; if you choose to marry him after I have no longer legal controul over you, my bitterest, heaviest curse light on you both: now come and kiss me, and think no more about it. I know you will be a good girl: Broadwood shall send you home a grand-piano before the week's out.' What could she do? she did not love Aless, but she feared her stern father more, for she is meek as the turtle-dove, and the thought of his curse sat heavy on her soul. She promised with an aching heart, and received the Judas-salute, as unlike the kiss of love as the slaver of the serpent over the victim crushed in his folds. I forgot to tell you, that in pursuance of the plan of rejection, she was compelled to write to her lover, 'begging him to cease further importunity, as such would be quite useless, and only productive of pain to both: and that as she must, in filial duty, cease to think of him, reciprocity in that particular would certainly be best, &c. &c. &c.' all which he took in, as actually her own wish, and cursed her and himself also with considerable vivacity. The special old ass, her father, hugs himself in the notion that his precepts are literally obeyed, and has introduced another man to her, one of those convenient dastards who have no objection to skulk into wedlock crouched in the starched

folds of the banner of paternal favour: hateful to every woman of spirit: of course she loathes or rather despises him too heartily, to trouble herself about him; as to love towards such a 'thing,' the old gentleman might as well try to kindle a torch under water. In the mean time, she is pining in all the hopelessness of disappointed affection: the struggle cannot last much longer; her existence is become a feverish day-dream: did you not see how she started to-day at our entrance? She was lost in bitterness, and expected A-- to enter. I understand he is but I think we can manage to see him; it would be a pity to leave so fine a sketch of family happiness unfinished."

We bent our way to a neighbouring tavern: L-gave a glance through the glassdoor in the passage, and turning round, whispered, "I thought as much:" we entered; and in a wooden recess, with arms folded, and eyes bent on the fire as though he watched its flickering, I saw the person in question. Our approach did not move him in the least; he leaned his head on his hand, and muttering "Why do I linger here?" kept his eyes fixed in unconsciousness. L-, who it seems knows him intimately, seeing he was alone, advanced familiarly and struck him gently on the shoulder, saying, in a jocular strain,

H

"Youth, why despair? the girl thou shalt obtain." He looked up full at L, showing a face in which manly beauty, grief, and reckless intemperance, were strangely blended; gazed at Lan instant, and hiding his brow with the back of one hand, wept bitterly. I was shocked: L- swallowed a spasm in his throat, and I saw his eye twinkle. "Come, come," said he, "never mind, cheer up and play the man, all will yet be well: some people can't live for ever, and then you can do as you like."-"Oh! but," said the lover, "she despises me, she has bidden me think of her no more; and I have tried to do so, but its all in vain: I know she has learned to hate me; would I were dead, and that I soon will be." "Nonsense, stuff!" said L-, "be patient awhile, man, I have just seen, and will swear by her manner, she loves you as much as ever."-"Have you really seen her, and has your friend too?" said he, turning to me with delighted surprise, "is she not beautiful? Ah! if you knew how good she is!-But how do you know (his voice again sinking) she still thinks of me? They told me she was going to be married directly"—"Pooh, pooh," said L— "don't mind what every fool chooses to say; know it, because she is as disconsolate as you were just now; rely on it, they made her write

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what they pleased to dictate, and passed it to you as her own: that's an old game, and stale. Be steady, and do nothing rashly; you are both young, you cannot tell what is in store for you: at all events, let me earnestly advise you not to attempt the dreadful expedient of endeavouring to drown care in intemperance; the edge of sensibility like yours, is only set afresh by the temporary torpor of excess; by the very method you resort to, to blunt its keenness: go home, and try to apply to business."-"That's what I tell Mr. A- ," said the good-natured, sympathizing Host, who had come in, and stood leaning on the wooden inclosure, "for," says I, "though my liquor is good in moderation, and very good in quality, though I say it that should'nt, it won't do for Mr. A-, who takes-on so; grief or liquor, single handed, will kill a good-one, if he has too much of either; but let them fight hand in hand, and they are a match for the devil himself, and they say he's a tough one.”—“Yes,” said A- "it is easy to tell me to go home, but what's home without the voice of her I love?' but I thank you most sincerely, because I know you mean me well, you have given me fresh life and hope, I will do all I can."

We all went out together; at the corner of the street A- left us, first grasping both our hands fervently.

LETTER XX.

"WELL," said L-, after we had walked some way in silence, "what do you think of my family picture? the portraits are handsome, but the colouring is sombre, I think; but here is a lively object to relieve the last group: look at that woman," said he, pointing to a female with a pretty, dissolute countenance, mincing along with an air of artifice and allurement. "What is she," I enquired. "She is one of our outcasts; a common prostitute, who obtains from the wages of promiscuous intercourse her daily bread; who sells for hire, in unenjoying prostitution, the feminine embraces given by Nature for mutual solace and endearment. You have just seen two beings debarred from the enjoyment of each other, by a thick-headed cruelty: they are two of ten thousand; this woman is one of twenty thousand of all the forlorn situations to which humanity can be reduced in civil society, perhaps her's is the worst. She is shunned by the stiff-necked, who walk on, and elevate their snouts, at the vice hatched by