diate attempt to replace him in the possession of the estates from which he had been some two years before displaced. But all other considerations were speedily absorbed in one which most profoundly affected him the princely conduct of his friend Lord De la Zouch. Mr Aubrey said scarce any thing upon this topic for some time; but Mr Runnington perceived how powerfully his feelings were excited. And will it occasion surprise when I say, that this feeling of gratitude towards the creature— towards the noble instrument—was presently itself merged into another, that of gratitude towards God, whose mysterious and beneficent purpose concerning him he contemplated with a holy awe? Mr Runnington was himself greatly moved by the spectacle before him; but desirous of relieving the increasing excitement under which he perceived Mr Aubrey labouring, he kindly turned the conversation towards the practical details, and apprized him of the consultation he had had with Sir Charles Wolstenholme, to all of which Mr Aubrey listened with intense interest, and thoroughly appreciated the value of the admirable suggestion upon which they were acting. But Lord De la Zouch had, with a most delicate consideration, peremptorily enjoined Mr Runnington not to acquaint Mr Aubrey with the circumstance, either of his lordship's having come over from France solely on his affairs, or of his meditated project of summarily releasing Mr Aubrey from all his embarrassments. As soon as Mr Runnington had informed Mr Aubrey that he would find his lordship then at Dover Street, and in readiness to receive him, that closed their interview; and Mr Aubrey, in a state of extraordinary exhilaration of spirits, instantly set off to see his munificent benefactor, and pour out before him the homage of a long oppressed and grateful heart. After a long interview, the character of which the reader may easily imagine, Lord De la Zouch insisted on setting out for Vivian Street, for he declared he could not let another hour pass without seeing those in whose welfare he felt so tender an interest: so arm in arm they walked towards Vivian Street; and it would have made any one's heart thrill with satisfaction to see the brightened countenance of poor Aubrey, as he walked along, full of joyful excitement, which was visible even in the elasticity and vigour of his step. It seemed as though a millstone had been taken from his neck; for

though he was, indeed, of a somewhat sanguine temperament, yet had he not, in what had happened, solid ground to sustain the strongest and brightest hopes? Whether he was right, or whether he was wrong, still he entertained a confidence that it was God's good providence to which he was indebted for what had happened—and that he would bring it to a successful issue. They agreed together, as they neared Vivian Street, to be guided by circumstances, in communicating or withholding information of the glorious interference in their favour which was at that moment in active operation. Mr Aubrey's knock-so vastly sharper and more energetic than was his wont brought two fair faces to the window in a trice; and faces pale with apprehension; but who shall tell the agitation they experienced on seeing Lord De la Zouch and Mr Aubrey? 'Twas an affecting interview; here was their princely deliverer-the very soul of delicacy and generosity-for as such, indeed, they regarded him, though as yet ignorant of his last noble act of munificence! His lordship's quick and affectionate eye detected, with much pain, on first seeing them, the ravages of the cankering anxiety which had been so long their lot; how much thinner were both of them, and was more especially Mr Aubrey, than when he had last seen them! And the mourning which they wore for Lady Stratton made the delicate figures of Mrs Aubrey and Kate appear slighter than even they really were. Their countenances, also, bore the traces of sorrow and suffering-but the expression was, if possible, lovelier than ever. The fire and spirit of Kate's blue eyes was subdued into an exquisite expression of serenity and pensiveness; but on the present occasion her bosom was agitated by so many conflicting feelings-she felt conscious that her very sense of embarrassment was a delicious oneas gave a surprising vivacity of expression to her features. Lord De la Zouch's heart melted within him, as he looked at them, and reflected on the sufferings through which they had passed, and felt a delighted consciousness of the pleasure which his appearance occasioned that virtuous but long oppressed and harassed family; and in the scene of their graceful and honourable poverty: and devout and earnest were his wish and his hope, that Providence would be pleased to crown with success his interference in their behalf. His lordship would

not be denied on one matter, upon which he declared that he had made up his mind—that they should all of them return with him to dinner in Dover Street;—and, to be sure, the sight of his carriage, which he had ordered to follow him within an hour's time, gave them to understand that he really was in earnest— and they both hastened up to dress, oh, with what bounding hearts, and elastic steps!-Lord De la Zouch felt, as they all sat together in his carriage, as though he were a fond father restored to the presence of long afflicted children ; and his courtesy was touched with an exquisite tenderness. When they

entered the spacious and lofty drawing-rooms, which, though then wearing the deserted appearance incident to the season, reminded them of many former hours of splendid enjoyment, they felt a flutter of spirits, which it required a little effort to overcome. The drawing-room and the dining-room struck them as quite prodigious, from their contrast to the little rooms to which they had been so long accustomed in Vivian Street: and several other little incidents revived recollections and associations of a painfully interesting nature; but as their spirits grew more exhilarated, they felt asense of real enjoyment to which all of them had long been strangers. One or two sly allusions made by his lordship to the probable future occupants of the house, and the more modern air they might choose, perhaps, to give it, brought as bright a bloom into Miss Aubrey's fair cheek, as ever had mantled there! When they had returned home, it was impossible to think of bed—all of them had so much to say, and were in so joyous an excitement; and before they had parted for the night, Aubrey, unable any longer to keep to himself the true source of his enjoyment, electrified them by a frank and full disclosure of the great event of the day!

A day or two afterwards, Lord De la Zouch, having accomplished his benevolent purposes, returned to the Continent, having pledged Mr Aubrey to communicate with him frequently, and particularly with reference to the progress of the important proceedings which he had caused to be set on foot. The splendid chance which now existed of retrieving his former position, was not allowed by Mr Aubrey to interfere with his close attention to his professional studies, to which he might yet have to look for the only source of his future subsistence; and he conti

nued his attendance at Mr Mansfield's chambers with exemplary punctuality and energy. It was not long after Lord De la Zouch's return to the Continent, that the melancholy events occurred which have just been narrated—I mean the serious illness of Lord Dreddlington, and the untimely death of Lady Cecilia. The Aubreys had no other intimation of those events but such as they derived from the public papers-from which it appeared that his lordship's illness had occasioned the fright which had ended in so sad a catastrophe with Lady Cecilia; and that his lordship's illness had originated in agitation and distress, occasioned by the failure of extensive mercantile speculations into which he had allowed himself to be betrayed by designing persons. In passing down Park Lane, Mr and Mrs Aubrey, and Kate, saw a hatchment suspended from the house of Mr Titmouse; and, some short time afterwards, they saw that gentleman himself, in the park, driving a beautiful dark-blue cab, his tiger and he both in mourning— which became them equally. Black greatly changes most people's appearance; but it effected a peculiar change in Mr Titmouse; the fact being, however, that, desirous of exhibiting even extra marks of respect for the memory of the dear deceased Lady Cecilia, he had put his sandy mustaches and imperial into mourning, by carefully dressing them with Indian ink, which gave a very touching and pensive character indeed to his features!

CHAPTER IX.

WHILE Mr Pounce and Mr Quod, after their own quaint fashion, are doing decisive battle with each other, as it were, in a remote corner of the field of action; while-to change the figure-Mr Titmouse's pedigree is being subjected to the gloomy, silent, and mysterious inquisition of the ecclesiastical court, let us turn for a moment to contemplate a pitiable figure, a victim of the infernal machinations of Mr Gammon-I mean the poor old Earl of Dreddlington. He was yet—a month after the death of his unhappy daughter, Lady Cecilia-staggering under the awful shock which he had experienced. Before he had been in any degree restored to consciousness, she had been buried for nearly three weeks; and the earliest notification to him of the melancholy occurrence, was the deep mourning habiliments of Miss Macspleuchan, who scarcely ever quitted his bedside. When, in a feeble and tremulous voice, he enquired as to the cause of her death, he could get no other account of it—either from Miss Macspleuchan, his physicians, or the Duke of Tantallan-than that it had been occasioned by the shock of suddenly seeing his lordship brought home seriously ill, she being, moreover, in a very critical state of health. When, at length, he pressed Miss Macspleuchan upon the matter, and challenged her as to the real cause of what had happened-viz. the blighting discovery of Mr Titmouse's illegitimacy-she resolutely maintained that he was labouring altogether under a delusion-indeed a double delusion; first, as to his imaginary conversation with Mr Gammon; and secondly, as to his supposed communication of it to Lady Cecilia. Her heart was smitten, however, by the steadfast look of mournful incredulity with which the Earl regarded her from time to time; and, when alone, she reproached herself in