voice, yet loud enough for Lord Eaglesholme's ear, "I am unfit for this crowd to-night. A sudden giddiness has come upon me. Would that I could procure a glass of iced water."

Lord Eaglesholme felt this opportunity of introducing himself too precious to be lost. He sprang off to one of the bowers where refreshments were provided, and, when he returned, he found the lady alone. She received the proffered beverage with a courtesy that showed his attention was not displeasing to her. She then, to his great surprise, expressed her gratitude very eloquently in English; and making room for him beside her, she begged him to afford her the benefit of his protection, until the return of her friend. The lady instantly recovering from her indisposition, a conversation of a very animated description followed; and they forgot the lapse of time, till the thinning of the crowds in the gardens, and the gradual decay, of the lights, warned them of the late hour.

It was then that the lady for the first time expressed some vague apprehensions about her friend. Lord Eaglesholme would have flown in search of her, but to leave the stranger alone, at such an hour, was impossible. They therefore

set out on a tour of the gardens together, to look for her. But she was no where to be found; and the lady satisfied herself with the idea, that Signora Bellocchi, having mistaken the part of the gardens she had left her in, had missed her way back, and concluding that she had retired, had driven home to her own palazzo.

. Lord Eaglesholme was too much enchanted with the new acquaintance he had formed, narrowly to scrutinize the probability of the story. He handed the lady to her equipage; and as the flambeaux were held up to show her the step, she turned gracefully round, and taking off her mask, whilst the blaze of light fell full upon her face, she again thanked him for his polite attention to her; then, telling him the place of her residence, she begged him to call on her next day, to afford the Marchioness de Villecour (for so she called herself,) an opportunity of repeating more fully her expressions of gratitude.

The grand and highly expressive features she thus for a moment disclosed, which might have been those of the very goddess she personated, completed the conquest her noble air, and her brilliant conversation, had begun; and he was so

wrapt up in admiration, that, after her carriage had driven off, he stood gazing after the lights that whirled along with it, unconscious of every thing around him, until the officious inquiries of his servants recalled him to himself.

Burning with a passion, which he now, for the first time, experienced, Lord Eaglesholme hastened next day to the villa, in the lovely environs of the city, which the lady had indicated to him. He was received in a manner that enraptured him. The lady soon contrived shortly to tell him her history, describing herself as an Englishwoman of family, who, having been married to a young Frenchman of high rank, had been left a widow about a year before.

Dazzled by her beauty, her conversation, her exquisite taste, and her accomplishments, soon bewildered his understanding, and from that moment all his hours were spent with the charming Marquise. In the delirium of his love, he very soon made proposals of immediate marriage to her. These, however, she laughed gaily off, telling him, that, having once known the weight of Hymen's chains, she was resolved never to bear the irksome load again; but soon afterwards,

she artfully contrived to lead Lord Eaglesholme to forget what was due to virtue, and a connection of a looser kind began between them.. brAwakening in some degree from the first fever of his intoxication, he anxiously proposed to make her reparation for the injury he accused himself of having done her. But so completely had his reason been swept away by the strong tide of his passion, that he was neither shocked nor surprized by the levity with which these honourable offers were treated, until after several months, the effects of their intercourse began to appear in a manner too unequivocal. Then it Was that reflection arose, and reason began to resume her seat in the mind of Lord Eaglesholme; then it was that remorse began to operate on his mind. He again offered her, repeatedly offered her marriage, and then it was that he began to think it inexplicable, that, with reasons so urgent, she should still continue to reject it.

it...

But time ran on, and the wretched fruit of her infamy was brought into the world; and then it was that Lord Eaglesholme, discovered the fa tal truth em amlodenged eno I moqute adT The enchantress who had so long held him

within the magic circle of her fascination was, Lady Deborah Delassaux the wife of his ear liest and dearest friend! ls to mon

Horror seized upon the virtuous mind of Lord Eaglesholme. But how was that horror increas ed by the manner of the discovery! It came from Lady Deborah herself.

Her husband, Sir Godmansbury Delassaux, when returning from his Grecian tour, died by the hand of assassins on the road between Torre del Greco and Portici. No sooner was Lady De borah mistress of this intelligence, than her former train of deceit, and even common feeling itself was forgotten, in the relief she experienced at thus finding all obstacles to her marriage with Lord Eaglesholme removed. She rushed into his presence, and altogether unmindful of the character of the man, rudely snatched from his eyes the veil she had thrown over them, and with unrestrained, but ill-timed expressions of sof joy, declared her readiness to consent to an immediate marriage; nay, urged him to it, in her turn, with all her eloquence at eg 1

The stupor Lord Eaglesholme was thrown into by her unblushing infamy, prevented his inter