Oh! wha to the waves o' the ocean can say, Your roarings gie o'er, and expect they'll obey, Or bid the winds bide, when they 're willing to blaw. Gin there be ony sich, let them claver to youth; The circle who had stood around the piano, professed themselves enchanted; and Mrs. Fitzhammond said she "could listen all night." "Did you ever?" said Lady Frances to Lady Arabella, looking with contemptuous astonishment at the party around the singer. "Did you ever?" Lady Arabella, with an answering expression of horror, replied-" too!" and Lady Frances rejoined, casting her eyes upwards, "beyond." It would have been difficult, certainly, for any one uninitiated in the manners and language of the sect to affix a precise meaning to unconnected words like the foregoing; and if indeed any interpretation at all had been attempted, Charity would rather have inclined to the belief that they were sounds falling from the lips of in fants who were as yet ignorant of the use or power of speech. But Charity, though kind, must be just, and the words which, in their insignificance might have challenged untutored Nature, in its first lisping efforts at pronunciation, came accompanied with looks of contempt and arrogance, that left those who caught them in little doubt as to the context, and none at the indecorum and want of breeding of the speakers. Poor Miss Macalpine, who knew enough of the bye-language of the fashionables of her day to interpret Lady Arabella's and Lady Frances's expressions to their utmost extent, felt for her friend, and endeavoured, by talking to her incessantly, to draw off her attention from the attack; but the language of the looks cannot be mistaken, and every one of the party, even Miss Paterson herself, was aware of the ill-suppressed ridicule of these accomplished young women of fashion. Fortunately, at this moment, several of the expected evening guests were announced, more rooms were thrown open, and the saloon where the concert was to take place, was already filling with the different musicians, whose notes of preparation, as they tuned their various instruments, sent forth a prelude of the approaching performance. The children clapped their hands and sprang forward; they were to sit up to hear the famous Italian singer of whom every one was talking. Lord Mowbray offered Lady Emily his arm without speaking. "You love music, I know," said Mrs. Fitzhammond, as they passed her; "and your sister? where is she? Lady Frances, you must have heard this new prima donna in town ?" "No," said Lady Frances; "she had not come over, though she was announced.” "Does she sing so incomparably?" said Lady Emily. "To say she sings finely, does not embrace one-half of her powers," said Lord Bellamont; "she combines with the greatest compass and sweetness of voice, the talent of an improvisatrice, and composes, on the instant, whole scenes and entire pieces on any given subject, with the most astonishing facility and eloquence." "She is a most surprising creature!" said Mrs. Fitzhammond. "I hope," continued Lord Bellamont," she will be in great force this evening; for Mr. Fitzhammond has prevailed on her to assist in the musical part of the entertainment, and she arrived here this morning; but she is so shy, or dislikes our English manners so much, or is so careful of herself, (as she assured us it was necessary to be in our climate,) that no persuasion could induce her to appear in the drawing-room, and she will only make her entrée when every thing is ready in the concert-room." "Careful of herself with a vengeance," said Captain Lepel, shrugging up his shoulders; "for no one, I am certain, has been allowed to approach her within an arm's length. She receives her glove, if one hands it to her, with a grace that appears equally calculated to keep you at a distance, as to thank you for your courtesy, and then you obtain nothing but a cold bend of the head to repay your pains. 'Pon my honour, she is too retiring a beauty for me— and not handsome either at first sight-and rather low of stature-but then she has an oval face, a harmony of features-a mouth without corners and an expression, 'pon my honour, after all quite fascinating, quite indescribable, a sort of Sappho,-quite invincible, 'pon my honour.-Do you not think so, Bellamont? I know I know you would have been one of her most devoted admirers,if she would have suffered you." "A mouth without corners! what does that mean?" said Mrs. Neville to Lady Emily: 66 charming, charming; well, to be sure! it is beyond belief." "Hech, Sirs! keep me; I never heard the like o't. Weel I wot, · a mouth without corners; it must be unco gashlike. I canna understand that same," screamed Miss Macalpine, pressing her head over Mrs. Neville's shoulder to look at the speaker. "Whare is 't to be seen, Sir ?" she continued, holding Miss Paterson by the arm, and addressing Captain Lepel; who, eyeing her from top to toe, and questioning by his look her authority to speak to him, replied-" Oh, in the next room, Ma'am ;" and then turning superciliously on his heel, whispered to Lady Arabella-" Who in the earth are those old frights? Let not your |