the lower classes, and talked of liberty and so forth."

"Yes, he's a rising man, and if he play his cards well, he'll soon occupy an important position. Ah! there they are again, uncommonly fine girl to be sure! and he's not bad-looking, though he has superlative beauty at his side."

The sky was clouded over strangely, and the band of the Blues never played so execrably.

"How pale you are looking my dear," said Lady Ravensden, who joined me at this mo

ment.

"I am rather tired."

"Tired! why, what a poor tender plant it is !" cried the old lady, "you can't stand anything, why when I was your age nothing ever fatigued me."

Nothing fatigued her now, so I could well believe in the power of her juvenile years; it struck me too, that she never possessed much sensitiveness of disposition, she was warmhearted and affectionate, but anxiety, apprehension, those bitter component parts of love, were foreign to her, and the feeling of unac

countable sadness and heart-sickness, which then came over me, she never could have felt. Some natures, peculiarly constituted, can

not.

I trembled, as I thought how slight an incident had affected me so deeply, and chid myself for my folly; but I could not bring back the smile to my lip, try how I would.

Presently, I saw my guardian approaching and if anything could have called into play my risible faculties, his appearance would have done so : there was something irresistibly comic in it that day. The painful uprightness of his figure, his studied dress, and tout ensemble, suggested the common phrase, "he looked as if he had been just turned out of a band-box;" his head seemed fixed on with such carpenter work, that he could not turn it, it was "nailed" on evidently, and he was fain to keep it in one "pose," and move only his eyes, when any attractive object crossed his path. It was thus squinting round the corner of his nose that he first perceived me.

He did not seem over well pleased at seeing me in such companionship, and joining me unceremoniously, giving at the same time a

slight lift to his hat in honour of Mr. Compton, and a supercilious glance at my other friend, he said in a familiar tone, “why, where have you been hiding? couldn't see you anywhere."

"Indeed!"

'No, take my arm. I couldn't get here till late, but I thought I should be able to have one turn, and then escort you to your carriage. I should think you'd had enough of it by this time, if so, the sooner we leave the better."

"I am quite ready to go, indeed, but Lady Ravensden must be consulted."

For a wonder, her ladyship was willing to depart.

While standing at the entrance, leaning on my guardian's arm, I perceived the Premier's party, of which Mr. Grey appeared to be

one.

We stood side by side for a minute or two, but the fair girl on his arm was entertaining him in a pretty musical voice, in school-girl fashion, asking a variety of questions, and compelling him, nolens volens, to reply. On my other side, my guardian, in a strain of affected

concern, was expressing his regret at my having to wait so long for the carriage.

"Badly managed, for you to be kept standing here."

Once only, just as we were seated, my eyes met Mr. Grey's, he lifted his hat, we drove on, and the last I saw of him, was his handing the Lady Lucy into her carriage.

That I should love a bright particular star,
And think to wed it, he is so above me."

ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL.

"I know his eye doth homage otherwhere;
Or else, what lets it, but he would be here."

COMEDY OF ERRORS.

HAD I discovered the key to his estrangement? It seemed like it, and it struck me what a fool I had been, in permitting my thoughts to dwell so much upon any one, as they had upon this much sought Mr. Grey.

It was evident that his head was turned with flattery, and that, moreover, he was ambitious; but why-oh! why had he ever shown me attention? and taught me to study his