voices, the loudest of which was that of his indig nant mistress.

1

"Yes! my own house," replied he trembling, and gradually edging towards a large chair, which he very adroitly placed between him and Amherst; "I say again, my own house. This la dy knows, that she some time ago made it over to me in consideration of certain monies lent;→ and, farther, the estates are mine ;-and yet, after all these securities, my fidelity and generosity have made me a severe loser by the vast sums I have advanced to save the credit of the family."

"To save the credit of the family, you rascal," cried the Admiral, in a fury," you have done your best to ruin them!—O! that I had you at the gangway !"

"Softly, gentlemen!" cried the venerable Sir William, advancing between them and Hawkins, "allow me to speak to him;" then addressing the steward, who had once been a poor boy in his kitchen, and who had afterwards been educated by him, and fitted to fill the situation of a clerk, "Hawkins," said he in an authoritative tone, "I shall protect you from violence, but, at the same time, I must protect this company from inso

lence and intrusion. I ask you where you found such enormous sums of money, as could enable you to advance an equivalent for the magnificent domains, and extensive estates of Brokenhurst?you who, a very few years ago, had nothing.” 1. Hawkins was appalled. He hesitatedhemmed, and either was, or affected to be troubled with something in his throat, that choked his utterance.

"Really Sir William,-in good truth, Sir,ahem!-why you know, Sir,-I have been an industrious pains-taking plodding man, Sir,—I have toiled late and early, Sir,-the pen has never been out of my hand, or from behind my ear ——————

"Pshaw, Sir," exclaimed Sir William,-" such an explanation as this will never do were there no stronger bar to your demands on the estates of Brokenhurst, I, for one, should insist upon a most scrupulous examination of the documents, and proceedings, on which you have founded this pretended claim. But to cut matters short, I have to inform you, that if you really have lent money to that lady, you can have no recourse upon this house, and these estates, since neither of them ever were her property."

The effect of this declaration it is impossible to describe. The astonishment it produced on the supposed mistress of Brokenhurst Hall, and her unworthy agent, was simultaneous, though we are condemned to describe its symptoms in each of them successively. The lady stared for

a few moments at Sir William, as if she had not heard him properly.

"What is it that you say, Sir ?" exclaimed she at length, utterly confounded," not my property!this house not mine!-do I exist? for as soon should I expect to find my very existence doubted, as to hear my right to these my patrimonial estates brought into a moment's rational question; the only child of Sir Marmaduke Delassaux, of Delassaux and Brokenhurst, the representative of blood as ancient, and as pure, as any this kingdom can boast!-Oh! 'tis some quibbling piece of merriment, and yet methinks," added she, with considerable irritation, -"to a Lady of my birth and bearing, and in my own house, too, such boyish jests are more impertinent than amusing, and but ill befit the gravity of Sir William Percival.”

"Miss Delassaux never the owner of Broken

hurst," cried Hawkins, with a sort of yellPhoh-I beg your pardon, Sir William,but it is impossible,-I never saw stronger tenures, parchments as firm as a rock, Sir,-holding blanch of the Crown, for the payment of four pounds of white wax, never exacted now, but, in the days of Popery, burnt in candles before Thomas à Becket's shrine, on the eve of his festival, as a penitential offering in behalf of the king,—and perhaps, too, for one of the early Delassaux's, who was said to have had a hand in the death of the prelate. Dover Castle, under favour, Sir William, stands not on a foundation more sure or enduring."

"Sir,” replied Sir William Percival, with dignity and determination, " I question not the stability of the rights of Miss Delassaux; they are, I believe, most unimpeachable; but, while it gives me very great pain to be compelled to communicate such cruel information to any one, I must tell that Lady that she is not the daughter of Sir Marmaduke Delassaux, that she is, in fact, not Miss Delassaux, and, consequently, that she has, innocently, I believe, been all along usurping the rights of another.”

Jud

تانیه

ted

On hearing these words, the young lady, who was the subject of them, uttered a shriek which graduated into a momentary and hysterical laugh, and staggering back a few paces, she was only prevented from falling on the floor by the exertions of Amherst, who sprang forward to catch her. As for Hawkins, the intelligence seemed to produce upon him a temporary delirium. He rushed from behind the chair, his little scratch wig rising from his scalp, by the mere force of the muscles of his brow and temples, which were thrown rigidly upwards, by the horror and dismay that struck him, as Sir William pronounced these fatal words. With the most frantic gestures, he threw himself on his knees before him, embraced his legs with an energy that almost threw the old gentleman down, and exclaimed:

"Oh, my dear master! oh, don't say so !-I'm dead!—ruined !—undone !—if you say so!" My all is gone !-my life!-my soul!-the fruits of all my industry!—of all my !—ugh !— what am I going to say?-but I am mad,stark mad!-dead, and damned, and ruined!" "Unhand me, Hawkins ;" said Sir William,