and, amongst such minds as these, without the aid of your friendship and advice, I shall he miserable. The constraint shall be but for a short period; I will ask but to remain with them till my father's arrival; and then you will be my guest,--my father's guest,and we shall all be happy."

"Well, well," said Mrs. Vaughan, "I sce you have all the eloquence of the argument on your side. Be it so; and now, suppose we return to Philip?" "Leave him to the enjoyment of his meditations, or his slumbers, yet an instant longer: I have another request to urge. You will write to Francis instantly, explain all; tell him how delighted I am at the prospect before us,-that my csteem, my regard,-no matter, say that I am charmed at this opportunity of convincing him of my sincerity. I would not for the world that he should hear the story from others, and construe my silence into the belief of a change in my opinion. And then "And what then, my dear?" said Mrs. Vaughan, smiling at her romantic eagerness," And then I will tell my father all; he will scarcely refuse his consent,-andand" concluding as she began, "we shall be happy yet.

"You hesitate, you do not approve of my plan ?" "It is admirably conceived," "I should merely reverse

was the answer.

the order of its arrangement; I'would ask the General's consent first, and write to Francis afterwards. He may have other views for you. Philip Courtney was always a prodigious favourite; or he may bring over some Indian admirer, or design to marry you to a man of equal fortune. Then comes the old story, the paternal mandate, the daughter's tears, and the rejected lover." No, no!" said Catherine, with a heavy sigh: "he will not return after so long an absence, only to set the seal to my misery. It is my privilege, my nature, to be sanguine. Allow me to indulge these hopes; while I promise at the same time to take no decisive step without your sanction, and then I cannot

err!"

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Having arranged their plans, they de scended the stairs, to announce to Philip their intention of accompanying him to London in two days at farthest; an intimation which appeared to afford him infinite pleasure. He could willingly indeed have dispensed with Mrs. Vaughan's company, of whose influence with Catherine he had a secret dread, and whose penetration he sometimes feared might be the means of detecting and defeating his plans.

The day previous to her departure, Catherine spent with Mrs. Gordon. Julia took leave of her with many tears. My ill-for

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tune pursues me," she said: "I congratulate you on having found a father. May he prove a gentler parent to you, than my mother has been to me. You will think me selfish in lamenting your departure under such circumstances; but I foresee that I have lost my only friend for ever."-"Why should you think so, dear Julia? My plans are yet wholly undetermined." "If my father's tastes are at all congenial to mine," said Catherine, "he will soon grow tired of London, and I shall paint this charming spot in such colours, that he will be dying to visit it. I may yet persuade him to settle here altogether. We shall find something to his taste, some cottage, or villa, or castle."

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"Ah," said Julia, with a gleam of her former vivacity, "a castle in the air." "Should it prove so, you shall build your castle in London. You shall return our visit. We shall make time pass as pleasantly as we can for you in your Frederic's absence. Till then I leave you, and your sweet boy, to amuse you. And recollect, Julia," and she looked down as she spoke, "I am almost as much a widow in heart as yourself; but I live in hope and in prayer, that our friends will return safe and honoured. Oh, that will be a day of joy to recompense all our sor

rows!"

VOL. II.

2 *

66

"Let me but see my Frederic restored to me, and I shall never repine again," and Julia kissed her babe, and wept. "I believe you, Julia;" but starting up suddenly, "I must delay here no longer; I have many preparations to make. Adieu, for the present. I will soon fulfil my promise of paying you a visit." And Julia, a little consoled by her friend's assurances, fondly threw her white arms round her, and bade her farewell.

On their arrival in Harley-street, they found the Courtney family, who had been advertised of the day and hour of their ar rival, assembled in full form to receive them. Mrs. Courtney had so far schooled her features, and prepared her sensibilities for the occasion, as to betray little embarrassment. The several members of the family all advanced separately to offer their congratulations, with the exception of Martha, who stood somewhat aloof from the rest, almost palpably sneering at the whole performance.

"Welcome to London, my dearest niece," said Mrs. Courtney, with supreme courtesy ; "I can hardly tell you how happy we all are to see you here, especially on such an occasion; nor can you think, my dearest sister, how much we have regretted your determination of solitude."—" I should imagine not," murmured Martha, "as she never heard a syllable of it before."

"The country has many charms," said Mrs. Vaughan. "Yes-oh-unquestionably; and my dearest niece must be well aware that I have always been among the first to consult her happiness. I imagined it most likely to be secured by permitting her the choice of her abode, though I must own that to wean her so completely from the attractions of fashionable life in London, my dearest sister," turning to Mrs. Vaughan, with a most gracious smile, "you must have cast an absolute spell around her."

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"No other spell, Madam," replied Catherine, with cool dignity, "than that rare one of friendship and kindness in the extreme." "The hope of seeing you here," said Mrs. Courtney, addressing Mrs. Vaughan, and too subtle to take any notice of Catherine's poignant remark, was one which I had scarcely ventured to indulge. I had imbibed a notion that you had formed some sort of religious vow never to quit your retirement, and am the more flattered that you should break it on my account." "I had made no actual, precise vow," replied Mrs. Vaughan; "but must own I am sufficiently partial to my cottage, not to have deserted it even for so short a period, but by little less than the compulsion of friendship." Mrs. Courtney dexterously took the compliment to herself, and answered it by a pressure of the hand.