wisdom, a Minerva, as well as a grace; and as the fair trifler has money, busy flatterers swarm about her golden hive, to endeavour to make her bestow the honey of her smiles, or rather the gold of her coffers, on them."

"I am glad," exclaimed lord Frederic, "that the idea I had formed of this lady proves to have been a correct one. I thought her accomplishments were exclusively to exhibit vamped-up-like furniture for sale at an auction, false as the imitations of jewels worn by strolling players; for, after hearing her quote passages from Tasso and Schiller, I spoke a few words of Italian, and a simple sentence in German to her, and she did not understand me. She certainly is like the doll she has probably just left off playing with; elle a un joli visage sans expression, et un tête sans de l'esprit; or rather resembles a pirate under glaringly-false colours, she assumes the appearance of a vessel with rich merchan

dize on board, whereas, in reality, she is merely on the watch to take from the stores of strangers; for, without talents herself, she tries to detract from the merits of others, and is likewise a receiver of stolen goods. Did you not remark this morning, how she told secondhand laughable anecdotes, and deprived them of their drollery by repeating them badly, comme des nouvelle nouvelles?"

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"All giggle, blush, half pertness and half pout, such is Miss Harvey," returned Georgiana; " she resembles, my lord, an ignis fatuus, which in a dark night is for a moment mistaken for a light from a window, but is quickly found to proceed from a bog."

"Shall you ride this morning, Beauchief?" languidly murmured Mr. St. Julians, approaching the chaise longue occupied, by lord Frederic and Miss Waldegrave.

"Assurément, il faut que je m'en vais promener mon ennui ailleurs," returned

VOL. I.

D

the

the young nobleman, starting up impatiently, and ringing the bell violently for his horse.

"Ride, shall you?—I shall stay and read Beppo;" and walking slowly back again to his lounger, Mr. St. Julians, after stretching and yawning, took up and opened a sermon book, instead of the entertaining poem he intended to amuse himself with perusing; he turned over the grave pages of Blair for some time, then shut it, and looked fixedly at the binding, till his eyes closed, his hand relaxed its grasp, and, just as sleep had

66

steeped his senses in oblivion's balm," the poor coxcomb was awoke by the noise of his composing volume dropping on the ground.

"And Folly took old Reason's book," sung Georgiana archly; then added in a low voice," I should like to twist its leaves in a cap' well known, which often, in his earlier years, I dare say, was placed on the head of Mr. St. Julians by the

hands,

hands, not of beauty, but of a schoolmaster, who doubtless then thought him 'a mark for scorn to point his finger at.' Oh, how ridiculous it would be to observe, instead of his father's coronet encircling his baby brow, the tattered remnants of his own fool's cap! But the phoenix is again rising from his chairlady Rosvellyn is retired to write, or rather scrawl, doleful ditties to her unhappy correspondents-lord Ashbourne is reading-you are fatigued with listening probably, and I am sure I am with talking so. Adio till the tiresome halfhour before dinner. Remember, however," continued she, playfully smiling as she retreated, "I expect your conversation will enliven even those leaden minutes."

As Miss Waldegrave left the room, sir Lionel Wentworth was announced; a farther account of whom we must defer giving till the next chapter.

CHAPTER IV.

An honest man's the noblest work of God. POPE.

SIR Lionel Wentworth was a baronet of large property and ancient family in one of the midland counties of England; grave, taciturn, and reserved, his manners were far from indicating the many great, noble, and attaching qualities, which rendered him, to the few favoured beings in whom he centered all the affections of a warm heart and an exalted mind, the sympathizing friend, the firm and steady adviser, and the pleasing companion. Early misfortunes had, while they softened the asperities, and curbed the vehemence of a temper naturally

too