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At length the young moned by Mademoiselle to accompany the rest of the pupils in their usual walk. Two or three other teachers were generally of the party; but, on this morning, she had forgotten to enlist any one in the service, that she herself might be under the necessity of paying so much attention to the younger ones, as not to be aware of the occasional wanderings on the part of the elder. In this state of things, Augusta and Catherine had no difficulty, in the abstraction into which persons conversing on any very interesting topic are liable to fall, of losing their way a little a forgetfulness which Madame whispered to Augusta must upon no account exceed an hour, as at the end of that time she should infallibly return home.

They walked gradually from their companions towards the appointed spot; but, though they went on slowly, they proceeded so long without perceiving any thing like a red coat, that they both of them anticipated that some of the contingencies, for which the Captain prepared Augusta, had actually occurred.

At last they descried two figures at a distance, walking towards them very fast; and they were soon enabled to decide upon its being Captain Harvey and his friend St. Aubyn. But although Catherine was prepared for the probability of his being so accompanied, and had in the first instance expected to be very much delighted by such a circumstance, the actual fact was very different from the imagination of it. She did not

know, till they were put to the proof, how respectable and feminine her feel

ings were. She had been so much in contact with folly, so much in the habit of hearing of love and lovers, and so impressed by the course of her education with an idea, that to entrap and aim at the other sex, was the only proper object of a woman's existence, that she did not thoroughly perceive, till this instant, (however an intuitive sense of delicacy might afford her occasional glimpses of it) how inconsistent with the modesty which really formed a feature in her character, was the situation in which she had so heedlessly placed herself.

She felt her heart throb with agitation at every step that brought them nearer. She implored Augusta to return, and not to meet them; she declared with vehe

mence that she would go back by herself, and she actually broke away from the grasp with which Augusta retained her arm, intending to realize this resolve ; but she poured upon her such heavy accusations of treachery and ill will as she had not the courage to endure; and, shaking in every nerve, overpowered with shame and confusion, her cheeks the colour of the deepest crimson, and scarcely able to keep from crying, Catherine found herself within a few paces of St. Aubyn, and in the next instant a mutual introduction by Augusta of all parties took place.

Captain Harvey offered his arm to Miss Belmont, and St. Aubyn very politely made the same overture to Catherine, which she for a long time declined with many an embarrassed "No I thank

you," till Augusta's loud laugh, and her own intense feeling of the aukwardness she was exhibiting, induced her to end the matter by accepting it; and his behaviour being perfectly respectful, she began to be more at her ease. It has been said that "truth is uppermost," and it certainly is; for no perfectly genuine emotion can be concealed or misinterpreted. St. Aubyn clearly understood what was passing in the heart of Catherine, and evinced, by the delicacy of his attention and discourse, how much he respected it. But his was indeed the most delicate, the most refined of minds; gentle and persuasive, tender and affectionate, adorned too with beauty at once manly and elegant, it was not without awaking a new and charming interest in the ardent affections of this impas