ruling taste and grand business of the house, he felt relieved to think that his complaisance would not be put to the rack while he listened to it.

General Montgomery at length drew out his watch, and pronounced the hour to be come for retiring. "Before you all go," he said, "I must call a Council of War to know what plans are formed for the amusement of the morrow-we must do the honours to Lord Mowbray, and show him the beauties of our forest."

Colonel Pennington immediately proposed a fishing-party, and Lady Emily warmly seconded it: "because," she said, "we must go by the famous bed where the lilies of the valley grow in such profusion; and I want to procure some, roots and all-so, if you please, dear uncle, I will take Rose to help me.'

Lady Frances observed sneeringly, "Emily cannot go any where without Rose, you know;-Rose is one of her most obsequious slaves, and Emily cannot do without a slave: I am sure, if my place is wanted, I shall very joyfully resign it, for I am not particularly fond of either fishing or flower-gathering."

"No, no! my Queen," cried General Montgomery, "I cannot do without you; but there is plenty of room for pretty Rose, if Emily wants her: besides, you know, we shall pass close to the Duke of Godolphin's, and you can pay a visit to your friend Lady Arabella." "I thank you, my dear uncle," replied Lady Frances, brightening up; " I shall extremely enjoy seeing Lady Arabella,"

And now every thing seemed to be easily arranged. Miss Macalpine, from certain associations and recollections, had conceived the idea that she had a right to appropriate Lord Mowbray to herself: she had formed a design upon him, which, though in itself quite innocent, gave an amusing importance and mystery to her manner, as she began counting heads, and arranging the different persons in the different carriages after her own wishes, finishing thus:"And then, Lord Mowbray, I'm thinking, will like to go in the pony phaeton, and it's just the same to me where I'm placed. I can just go with him, you know."

General Montgomery winked to Lady Emily; for he always saw through these little contrivances, and enjoyed them.—“ But you forget, Miss Macalpine," he said, turning to her, "that we all want to enjoy Lord Mowbray's society, and we are not going to resign him to you en tête-à-tête.”

"Oh weel," said Miss Macalpine, defeated, but not put out of temper," have it just as you please, General: I only thought the

other carriages would be filled, and that you would like to have Lady Emily to yourself, General."

"As you would like to have Lord Mowbray all to yourself-eh! Miss Macalpine?" said the General archly-" but leave us to marshal our troops our own way."

Lord Mowbray, who knew nothing of the genuine goodness and singleness of heart which distinguished Miss Macalpine, just understood enough of this dialogue to be alarmed at the prospect held out to him, for the ensuing day, of being imprisoned in a pony phaeton, with a very plain and rather formal old maid, who spoke with a Scotch accent, and took snuff; he therefore really felt grateful to the General for making a diversion in his favour, while poor Miss Macalpine, a little disconcerted, walked out of the room. "Confess," said the General, laughing, “ that was what you call taking the place by storm-was it not, my Lord? But if poor Miss Macalpine has her little foibles, they are so amply compensated for by her noble qualities, that one may the more readily allow oneself a little laugh now and then at her expense. Do not, however, suffer this desperate attempt of the enemy to discompose your slumbers-depend upon it, there are carriages enough and to spare for all our party."

66

Then followed the parting compliments for the night,-the hoping Lord Mowbray would feel himself at home, the kindly trust that Colonel Pennington had long done so,—and they retired to their several apartments.

"What sort of a day is it?" were the first words of Lady Emily as her maid entered her room the next morning.

"Rather overcast, my Lady," was the reply; and many were the anxious looks she gave towards the window, during the time she was dressing, to ascertain whether it would or would not rain.

"Always the rain and the fine weather, Emily ?" said her sister to her: "when will you learn to forget there is such a thing as weather ?"

66

Never, sister, till I forget there are such things as pleasant fields and woods and walks to ramble through, and which I cannot enjoy when the wet prevents my resorting to them."

"Well, upon the whole," said Lady Frances, yawning as she too prepared to rise, "I do sometimes envy you in the country, because you find so much amusement in things that don't amuse me in the least; but then you have not come out yet, though you are a year older than I was when I was presented; and I have a notion, Emily, that a season in London would. make a wondrous

change in your ideas-cure you, in short, of this sentimental rusticity."

"If you mean to say that I should enjoy the amusements of London excessively, I have no doubt of it; but why should you doubt that my delight also in the country is genuine?"

66

Why? why, because it is so unnatural."

"Oh Frances, love, say rather that you are unnatural. Do not, however, let us dispute about it, but, on the contrary, try how well you can entertain yourself this day, and I will do every thing in my power to please you."

So saying, with light heart and bounding step, she descended to the breakfast-room. “I am sure it will not rain to-day," said Lady Emily, after the salutations of the morning had passed. "Do you think it will, dear uncle?"

"No, my Emily !" he replied, tapping the tube of the weather"I can answer for it, it will not."

glass; "It is just the very day for fishing," observed the Colonel : "the fish will rise beautifully: such a mild atmosphere, neither dark nor light; and such a dappled gray in the East.”

"Oh! what a charming day we shall have!" cried Lady Emily. “Come, Alpinia, make haste, put on your walking-shoes, and arm yourself for an expedition with me. I am going lily-hunting with Rose, and we must not be baulked of our enjoyment for want of a few sensible preparations and common comforts. You see, I practise as I preach:" and she pointed, laughing, to her walkingboots, which could not disguise all the beauty of the small feet they defended; and her dark silk pelise, which showed to advantage her fair and delicate complexion sparkling with added colour from the excitement of the moment: "and now," said she, "we can brave ditches and brambles, and pursue our recreation unimpeded by finery at least."

"You

"I wonder

Lady Frances cast a contemptuous glance at her sister. really have made yourself a proper figure," said she. how my uncle can allow it!"

Not so Lady Frances herself, whose attire was a light summer costume, as costly and fashionable as though she had been going to some fête in town. Beautiful she was, undoubtedly; but as Lord Mowbray's eyes dwelt on her, and then turned to her sister, he could not help reading a transcript of the character of each in their choice of an habiliment for the morning's diversion: and the silent comparison was in favour of Emily. It was decided, how

ever, that he should accompany Lady Frances in one carriage, with General Montgomery, and Sir Richard Townley; while the Colonel, Lady Emily, Miss Macalpine, and Miss Paterson, occupied the other. Rose Delvin was to follow in the pony phaeton; where, as they were going a considerable distance, and did not expect to be back till dark, arrangements had been made to convey sundry cold refreshments, of which Lady Emily had undertaken the charge.

"But," said General Montgomery, "we should be badly off, I fear, if I trusted entirely to my sweet Emily in this department of the day's business; for I am sure, at any time, a flower would carry it over cold ham and chickens.-Are the refreshments put into the phaeton ?" asked the General, turning to the servant who announced the carriages.

Lady Emily looked rather mortified at this observation of her uncle; and said, half playfully, half reproachfully, "Why, my dear uncle, with all my romance, I do not really imagine myself sufficiently spiritualised to live upon flowers and air: but, suppose I did, do you think that your giddy Emily would forget her uncle's wishes and comforts?" The General, affectionately pressing Lady Emily's hand, kissed her, and said gaily, “Come, we are all ready, I believe; let us be off. The day will not be too long."

In their drive through the New Forest, the General frequently caused the carriages to stop, in order that he might point out some beautiful combination of trees, or some peep of the distant country seen through them. On these occasions, as on all similar ones, Lady Frances seemed wholly unconscious of what was passing; but when they moved on again, and that the General's attention was engaged in conversing upon some agricultural matter with Sir Richard Townley, she talked to Lord Mowbray of the Opera-of the last presentation at Court,-of the débuts of fashionable singers and admired dancers; discussing the merits of each with rather more assurance than seemed properly to belong to her age and sex. Lord Mowbray professed his ignorance upon most of these subjects, and his indifference to others, in a way provoking to Lady Frances; though it served to give an additional stimulus to her finding a topic of discourse which might engage his attention. "Are the operas better in Italy," at last said Lady Frances, "than in London ?" "Far better," was the short reply.

"How so?"

"Why, because, in the first place, music is indigenous to the soil of Italy; and in the next, we never have an opera performed in this

country as it is written; there is always something rejected or something interpolated, in order to suit it, as it is called, to the genius of an English audience; its own genius evaporates. Perhaps, after all, it is not that the opera in Italy is in itself so superior; for, I think, I have not seen on any stage in Italy the combination of musical talent I have occasionally seen on the opera-stage in London; but there is something in the air of the country which renders us more susceptible of enjoyment; we feel we are in the land of song, and give ourselves up to a mere existence of indolent and pleasurable sensation."

"You speak of Italy as if you loved it better than your own country—that is, better than London ?"

Lord Mowbray smiled at the idea of London being one's own country, and standing specifically for the whole British nation. "Are the ladies of Italy," continued his fair catechist, "much handsomer than those of England?"

"That depends upon taste. Italian beauty is all dark, forcible, and natural. I never saw an affected Italian woman- -a vain one? yes-but their vanity is as undisguised as their other sentiments; they are less employed about the fashions of the day-I should say, generally speaking, less taken up about the frivolous pursuits of the toilette; they unconsciously imbibe something of the taste they see around them; and the mere cares of dress and personal appearance have less power over their minds."

Lady Frances coloured, and looked displeased. "Your Italians, my Lord," said she," are, perhaps, more secure in their own charms -more sure of conquest-they can afford to be negligent; we English women pay at least a higher compliment to your sex, by our very anxiety and mistrust of our unassisted attractions."

"It is a compliment I, for one, could well dispense with,” replied Lord Mowbray.

Lady Frances bit her lip almost through with vexation, but was not to be foiled by this unusual language. A thought of her own transcendent beauty inspired her with new courage, and the absence of all objects to try her power on-nay, the very difficulty she experienced in extracting any thing in the shape of a compliment, gave her an additional stimulus to exert all her wiles, and not to allow Lord Mowbray's heart to escape the snares she set for it. She remained silent, however, as if reflecting upon what he had said; and contented herself with lifting her eyes occasionally to Lord Mowbray's, with a sort of imploring gentleness, which she well knew how