Louisa, and drained in one short, delicious, intoxicating draught. The poison, more fatal than that of Circe, circulated in her veins; and farewell gay spirits, unclouded thoughts, careless days, and peaceful nights! The pathetic exclamation of Othello, when all his occupations vanished before the master-passion of jealousy, may be echoed in softer notes by woman, when once absorbed by the soul-subduing power of a passionate love.

It is the fatal period of her destiny-drawing down the curse which impends over her feeble and devoted race. Guilty or guiltless, successful or unfortunate, the difference is smaller than might be imagined. Doomed to adore imperfection-to dote on inconstancy-to rest on frailtyto offer all the treasures of a devotion unparalleled to indifference, to selfishness-perhaps to scorn!

Such is the fate of her, who abandons herself

without control to the force, or the feebleness of her heart-flinging herself beneath the feet of the idol, which shall destroy her.

CHAPTER VI.

DAYS, till they amounted to weeks, were passed by Lord William at Dangerfield.

They fleeted by Louisa in one uninterrupted succession of delightful sensations; rendered doubly delightful by the character of her lover.

Lord William was singularly formed to attach a girl of feeling and imagination, more especially one, whose leading distinction was the extreme softness of her temper. To a highlycultivated understanding, and spirited, manly character, with manners such as a perfect knowledge of the world and the highest refinement

alone can give, he united the more seductive gift of a burning imagination-an imagination to which, for the moment, he was himself the slave. Bewitched by the beauty and delicacy of Louisa, he became really, for the time, the enraptured being he appeared. His devotion exceeded all reasonable bounds. His admiration, his flattery, were measureless; and, charmed with his delightful conversation; enchanted and dazzled by his devotion and adoration; she abandoned herself to the softness-the fatal weakness-of her nature; yielding without resistance to that languid charm, which hung like an atmosphere around her.

All exertion, indeed, on her part, was become unnecessary; and it is true she was little in the humour to make any. But she had only to suffer herself to be admired-everything she did was right. To be the decided favourite of Lord William was distinction enough, and placed her

at once, and without effort of her own, among the highest grades of fashion.

Her lover was the object of universal attention and admiration, distinguished not alone by his personal accomplishments, but by his rank and fortune for though a second son, he belonged to one of the most noble and ancient families in England; and his fortune, derived from his mother, was immense. Moreover, he was a leader of ton, and pretty much a leader in politics, and altogether one of the first men of his day.

Louisa, as the object of his preference, found herself raised even above envy; caressed, as was natural, to excess, by Mrs. Carlton, and, what seems hardly so natural, flattered by all those young ladies whom her success had left at such an immeasurable distance behind.

For though we do not mean to affirm, all amiable as they undoubtedly were, that they