talents to account; and was just about to decide between two plans, which she had thought desirable, when an uncle in India died, and the question was decided in a very welcome and unexpected manner. Till this gentleman married, her father had such large expectations from him, that he had fancied them a sufficient excuse for his profuse expenditure; but, when his brother, by having children, destroyed his hopes of wealth from that quarter, he had not strength of mind enough to break the expensive habits which he had acquired. To the deserving child, however, was destined the wealth withheld from the undeserving parent. Constantia's uncle's wife and children died before he did, and she became sole heiress to his large fortune. This event communicated a sensation of gladness to the whole town in which the amiable orphan resided.

Constantia had borne her faculties so meekly, had been so actively benevolent, and was thence so generally beloved, that she was now daily overpowered with thankful and pleasing emotion, at beholding countenances which at sight of her, were lighted up with affectionate sympathy and joy.

Overton was one of the first persons whom she desired to see, on this accession of fortune. Her truly christian spirit had long made her wish to hold out to him her hand, in token of forgiveness; but she wished to do so more especially now, because he could not suspect her of being influenced by any mercenary views. Overton, however, meant to call on her, whether she invited him or not; as, such was his love and respect for wealth, that, though the poor Constantia was full of faults in his eye, the rich Constantia was very likely to appear to him, in time, impeccable. He was at this period Mayor of the place in which he lived; and, having been knighted for carrying up an address, he became desirous of using the privilege, which, according to Shakespeare's Falconbridge, knighthood gives a man, of making any "Joan a lady." Nor was it long before he entertained serious thoughts of marrying; and why not as he was only fifty; was very young-looking for his age; was excessively handsome still; and had now a title, in addition to a good fortune. The only difficulty was

to make a choice; for he was very sure that he must be the choice of any one to whom he offered himself.

But where could he find in one woman all the qualities which he required in a wife! She must have youth, and beauty, or he could not love her; good principles, or he could not trust her; and, though he was not religious himself, he had a certain consciousness that the best safeguard for a woman's principles was to be found in piety; therefore, he resolved that his wife should be a religious woman. Temper, patience, and forbearance, were also requisites in the woman he married; and, as the last and best recommendation, she must have a large fortune. Reasonable man! youth, beauty, temper, virtue, piety, and riches! but what woman of his acquaintance possessed all these? No one, he believed, but that forgiving being whom he had represented as an atheist ;-" that vixen, Con!" and while this conviction came over his mind, a blush of shame passed over even his brassy brow.-However, it was soon succeeded by one of pleasure, when he thought that, as Constantia was evidently uneasy till she had made it up with him, as the phrase is, it was not unlikely that she had a secret liking to him; and as to her scribbling verses, and pretending to be literary, he would take care that she should not write when she was his wife; and he really thought he had better propose to her at once, especially as it was a duty in him to make her a lady himself, since he had prevented another man's doing So. There was perhaps another inducement to marry Constantia. It would give him an opportunity of tormenting her now and then, and making her smart for former impertinences. Perhaps, this motive was nearly as strong as the rest. Be that as it may, Overton had, at length, the presumption to make proposals of marriage to the young and lovely heiress, who, though ignorant of his base conduct to her, and the LIE OF FIRST-RATE MALIGNITY with which he had injured her fame, and blighted her prospects, had still a dislike to his manners and character, which was impossible for any thing to overcome. He was therefore refused,-and in a manner so decided, and, spite of herself, so haughty, that Overton's heart renewed all its malignity towards her; and his manner became so rude

and offensive, that she was constrained to refuse him admittance, and go on a visit to a friend at some distance, intending not to return till the house which she had pur chased in a village near to was ready for her. But she had not been absent many months when she received a letter one evening, to inform her that her dearest friend at was supposed to be in the greatest danger, and she was requested to set off directly. To disobey this sumnons was impossible; and, as the mail passed the house where she was, and she was certain of getting on faster that way than any other, she resolved, accompanied by her servant, to go by the mail, if possible; and, happily, there were two places vacant. It was night when Constantia and her inaid entered the coach, in which two gentlemen were already seated; and, to the consternation of Constantia, she soon saw, as they passed near a lamp, that her vis-a-vis was Overton! He recognised her at the same moment; and instantly began, in the French language, to express his joy at meeting her, and to profess the faithfulness of his fervent affection. In vain did she try to force conversation with the other passenger, who seemed willing to talk, and who, though evidently not a gentleman, was much preferable, in her opinion, to the new Sir Richard. He would not allow her to attend to any conversation but his own; and, as it was with difficulty that she could keep her hand from his grasp, she tried to change seats with her maid; but Overton forcibly withheld her; and she thought it was better to endure the evil patiently, than violently resist it. When the mail stopped, that the passengers might sup, Constantia hoped Overton would, at least, leave her for a time; but, though the other passenger got out, he kept his seat, and was so persevering, and was so much more disagreeable when the restraint imposed on him by the presence of others was removed, that she was glad when the coach was again full, and the mail drove off.

Overton, however, became so increasingly offensive to her, that, at length, she assured him, in language the most solemn and decided, that nothing should ever induce her to be his wife; and that, were she pennyless,

service would be more desirable to her than union with him.

and

.

This roused his anger even to frenzy; and, still speaking French, a language which he was sure the illiterate man in the corner could not understand, he told her that she refused him only because she loved Sir Edward Vandeleur; "but," said he, " you have no chance of obtaining him. I have taken care to prevent that. I gave him such a character of f you as frightened him away from you, "Base-minded man!" cried Constantia; "what did you, what could you say against my character ?"-"Oh! I said nothing against your morals. I only told him you were an atheist, and a vixen, that is all:-and, you know, you are the latter though not the former; but are more like a methodist than an atheist !""And you told him these horrible falsehoods! And if you had not, would he have did he then ? but I know not what I say; and I am miscrable! Cruel, wicked man! how could you thus dare to injure and misrepresent an unprotected orphan! and the child of your friend! and to calumniate me to him too! to Sir Edward Vandeleur! Oh! it was cruel indeed!""What! then you wished to please him, did you ? answer me!" he vociferated, seizing both her hands in his; "Are you attached to Sir Edward Vandeleur ?" But, before Constantia could answer no, and, while faintly screaming with apprehension and pain, she vainly tried to free herself from Överton's nervous grasp, a powerful hand rescued her from the ruffian gripe. Then, while the dawn shone brightly upon her face, Constantia and Overton at the same moment recognised, in her rescuer, Sir Edward Vandeleur himself!

He was just returned from France; and was on his way to the neighbourhood of · ; being now, as he believed, able to see Constantia with entire indifference, when, as one of his horses became ill, he resolved to take that place in the mail which the other passenger had quitted for the box; and had thus the pleasure of hearing all suspicions, all imputations, against the character of Constantia cleared off, and removed at once, and for ever! Constantia's joy was little inferior to his own; but it was soon lost in ter

ror at the probable result of the angry emotions of Sir Edward and Overton. Her fear, however, vanished, when the former assured the latter, that the man who could injure an innocent woman, by a lie of FIRST-RATE MALIGNITY, was beneath even the resentment of an honourable man.

I shall only add, that Overton left the mail at the next stage, baffled, disgraced, and miserable; that Constantia found her friend recovering; and that the next time she travelled along that road, it was as the bride of Sir Edward Vandeleur.

CHAPTER IX.

LIES OF SECOND-RATE MALIGNITY.

I HAVE observed, in the foregoing chapter, that LIES OF FIRST-RATE MALIGNITY are not frequent, because the arm of the law defends reputations ;-but, against lies of second-rate malignity, the law holds out no protection; nor is there a tribunal of sufficient power either to deter any one from uttering them, or to punish the utterer. The lies in question spring from the spirit of detraction; a spirit more widely diffused in society than any other; and it gives birth to satire, ridicule, mimickry, quizzing, and lies of second-rate malignity, as certainly as a wet season brings snails.

I shall now explain what I consider as lies of SECONDRATE MALIGNITY;--namely, tempting persons, by dint of flattery, to do what they are incapable of doing well, from the mean, malicious wish of leading them to expose themselves, in order that their tempter may enjoy a hearty laugh at their expense. Persuading a man to drink more than his head can bear, by assurances that the wine is not strong, and that he has not drunk as much as he thinks he bas, in order to make him intoxicated, and that his per