strued this desire of Rhodiska to have a last view of the person who had rode off, into a partiality for him, and was lost in silent gloom, whence Rhodiska roused him, by asking what was his opinion of the person who had just left them?

"I cannot but think well," replied Leopold, "of a man of whom you appear to entertain a favourable opinion.'

she.

What makes you imagine so?" said

Leopold was at a loss for an answer, as he could not betray any symptoms of jealousy to a person, to whom he had never dared to utter his love. He hesitated, and at last stammered out, that he inferred it from seeing them together, and from the trouble which she took to behold the last of him.

"That trouble was for your sake, and not for his. I did not dare to introduce you to Lanfranco, lest your indignation should have broken out on the spot, and

I was happy when I saw him leave the

castle."

"Ah!" cried Leopold, unable to contain his emotions," you dreaded lest I should have felled him to your feet."

"Why not,” replied she, "that he might have felled you? You cannot suppose that I should wish him better than you, my dear Leopold!" (Here she blushed at the imprudence of her tongue, and endeavoured to rectify it, by putting it all to the account of gratitude)" You," added she, "who are my deliverer, and entitled to my warmest gratitude!"

"I relieve you from that," cries Leopold let it not stand in competition with

"What?" said she, perceiving that he hesitated,

Any sentiments which you may entertain in his favour," replied Leopold, with a chagrin which he could not disguise "I could renounce vengeance, and al

most

most forget my own private injuries, rather than destroy your happiness."

"The sentiments which I entertain for Lanfranco," said Rhodiska, " need not prevent your asserting your right: I only wish you to reserve your vengeance, till you can give way to it without danger to yourself-You do not know my heart."

Another blush, deeper than the former, - overspread her face; and, finding she could not conceal her confusion, she desired her attendant to acquaint Leopold with what had passed between herself and Lanfranco, whilst she went to give the same information to her father. She then went towards the castle.

"You are wrong," said Dorothea, "to suspect that my young mistress has any partiality towards Lanfranco: she despises him, and you will be convinced of it, when I acquaint you, as she has ordered me to do, with what has just passed between them."

She then gave him the detail; and the hatred which Leopold had borne to Lanfranco was trifling, compared to what he felt when he knew that he aspired to the hand of Rhodiska, of which he was before totally ignorant. Rage swelled his bosom, so as to prevent him from making any reply.

"Do you then disbelieve what I have been telling you?" added Dorothea.

"Not a syllable of it," replied Leopold "but it has inflamed my hatred of a man who has dared to aspire to Rhodiska.”

Leopold had no sooner uttered these words, than he cursed the phrenzy which had occasioned his imprudence... "I have discovered my sentiments," said he—“ I have dared to love Rhodiska, and passion has extracted that declaration which I had resolved to bury in my breast, at least till I could reveal it with some degree of propřiety. Do not, my dear Dorothea, disclose my audacity to your mistress, or she

will

will no longer treat me with that frankness which is all my pleasure on earth."

"I shall disclose nothing to my mistress," replied Dorothea, "which will do you any injury in her opinion. Do you only take care of yourself, and not let temerity ruin your cause. You are not yet in a situation to come to an open rupture with your rival. Manage your own matters well, and you shall not want a friend with my mistress."

Leopold seized Dorothea's hand, and imprinted so many kisses on it, that she told him to cease his raptures; for if her mistress should chance to be looking out of the window, and witness them, it would, perhaps, be a difficult matter to make her believe that he was only making love to her by proxy.

Dorothea then left him, and he hastened from the castle to bury himself in the forest, and reflect, undisturbed, upon what had passed, which, like the fuel to fire, had increased his passion, by feeding it