society. Mrs. Ainslie was desirous of obtaining him as her beau to the opera, not only because he knew every one personally who was worth knowing, but because she wished, by shewing Ellen, in him, what a real man of fashion was, to give her a model with which to compare Charles Mandeville. She was, therefore, much disappointed when Mandeville said he could not dine with her that day, but she expected he would come to her box during the evening, and this expectation was rendered certainty by the receipt of a note from Charles to Ellen, in which he told her that he would make a point of coming to their box as early as he possibly could; that, as he knew almost every person of rank and fashion at the opera, he might point out to her all the persons worth seeing. "Yes," said the pleased Ellen, Charles knows every one, I dare say."-" I have no doubt," replied Mrs. Ainslie, "but that Colonel Delborough knows them better, especially as he himself is one of the very set to whom Mr. Mandeville alludes." Colonel Delborough was captivated with Ellen as soon as he beheld her; and, as usual, on hearing she was of a good family he said to himself, now, if I were inclined to marry, here is an opportunity. As Colonel Delborough was a man of real fashion he was not afraid of being thought unfashionable by going to the opera to hear the overture, and as he loved music he had no objection to the early hour at which Mrs. Ainslie ordered the carriage. He and his fair nions, therefore, had the satisfaccompation of hearing a fine overture of Mozart performed in a manner worthy of it. I shall not attempt to describe Ellen's raptures at the singing and scenery, but she was not so pleased with the dancing, for she was not always sure that she ought to look at it, and she was not sorry when the first ballet ended. By this time Ellen was almost fascinated with the grace, the attentions, and the conversation of the Colonel. He could not fail to know every person of rank and distinction in the house, and had many pleasant anecdotes to relate of them whom he pointed out. Mrs. Ainslie ance had given the fourth ticket to her husband, in case his professional engagements allowed him to use it, therefore the Colonel had no rival, and was enjoying the privilege of being sole beau to a very fine woman and a beautiful girl, when an acquaintof Mandeville entered the ladies, and Colonel Delborough box to pay his compliments to the ing Mandeville, whom he only knew heard him say something concernby sight, and who was particularly disagreeable to him. When the round and exclaimed, "Mandeville! young man was gone he turned Do you know Mr. Mandeville, that somebody? My dear Mrs. Ainslie Consummate Coxcomb, that would-be how came you to know that man? He is so entirely out of your way. 93 "I agree with you,' she said, "but my acquaintance with him was unavoidable." Here she looked at agitation to hear her cousin, and Ellen, who sat in ill suppressed of, but Mrs. Ainslie motioned to once most dear Charles, so spoken her not to betray their relationship, boy expected to get into the Alfred, and the Colonel went on. "The disappointed.' but I am happy to say he has been "Is he not elected, Sir?" said Ellen eagerly. "Oh! no, I have reason to know all about he is not the sort of person for us. him. The name is a high name, but I find his father was only what is called a wholesale dealer at Bristol, a man who kept a general warequired, because the young man house, and died very rich. I enthought proper to pay marked attention to one of my neices, Lady couraged him, but I soon put a Julia L, and the silly girl enstop to her folly, by enquiring into conquered love." Scarcely had he the youth's pretentions, and pride ended his philippic against Mandeville when he himself made his apseeing how much the Colonel dispearance, and just as poor Ellen, might not come. Mrs. Ainslie could liked him, was wishing that he not present him to her friend after entrance, Charles was too full of his what had passed, and, on his first disappointment at the Alfred to attend to aught besides, and he talked of nothing else, though he saw that the conversation did not interest Mrs. Ainslie. At length, however, he remembered that he came to do the honours of the opera to Ellen, and he pointed out this Countess, that Duchess, such a beauty, and such a distinguished character; and so far he was right, but Ellen had been told all this before. "And there," said Mandeville, " that is the Dowager Duchess of ."" Are you sure of that, Sir," said the Colonel, coldly. "Do you know the lady ?”—“I have met her in company, Sir," "Indeed! but still you are mistaken, at least I hope so, for she died two days ago." Mandeville could only say she was very like her. "Not at all, Sir; that lady is fair as alabaster, and the Duchess was dark as ebony." Nothing daunted, Mandeville then pointed out other persons of rank. "Is he right now," said Mrs. Ainslie.Perhaps so, but they are Lords and Ladies, of whom I know nothing," he proudly replied. Mandeville felt piqued, and observed, "that they were well worth knowing for all that."-"Humph!" said the Colonel, shrugging up his shoulders and looking on the stage. Mandeville now named Lords and Ladies to the right and left out of bravado, and then the Colonel coldly said, sometimes, "It is not she, or it is not he." Mandeville, little suspecting who this contradicting gentleman was,disputed the point and insisted on it that he was right. At last he pointed out a lady just come into the opposite box as Lady Harriet H. The Colonel said it was not?-Mandeville persisted and declared he knew her perfectly. "Do you mean that you are acquainted with her, Sir?". "No, Sir; but I have seen her; I met her a few evenings ago coming into Lady D.'s as I went out." "You must therefore know her well, no doubt, Sir?"-"I do know her well, Sir." "But not quite so well as I do, Sir; for Lady Harriet H. is my own neice, Sir." Mandeville was excessively confused, and stammered out an apology, while Mrs. Ainslie could not help laughing, exchanging as she did so certain meaning looks with the Colonel, while Ellen pitied Charles with a sense of the ridiculous connected with him, which it was painful, but salutary to her to feel. Mrs. Ainslie now, lest Charles 66 should expose himself again, whispered to him; "Do you not know this gentleman is the Hon. Colonel Delborough ?"-Again Charles was confounded; he had long been ambitious to have the honour of that gentleman's acquaintance, and now he had the opportunity as it seemed, for he was in the same box with him, he had not only not been presented to him, but he saw that there was no intention of presenting him, and also that the Colonel beheld him with proud contempt. Ellen, too, he found was cold and absent in her replies, and Mrs. Ainslie not disposed to talk. He therefore rose and took his leave, telling Ellen that he hoped to see her again before she quitted London. "To be sure," said Mrs. Ainslie, this is only Tuesday, and Ellen does not go till Friday. You know," she added in a whisper, "as I cannot see her to the mail myself, and Ainslie dines out that day, you must." "Must! oh dear! no, really, I am very sorry; but I dine out on Friday, and really-indeed, I-it is most probable I dine when the mail sets out; and if Ellen will go by such vulgar conveyances she must take the consequences, I really cannot go with her.' "Ellen does not go by the mail," said Mrs. Ainslie, and I said what I did only to try you, and your regard for your cousin." This put the finishing stroke to Mandeville's discomfiture, and he quitted the box, shutting it after him with great violence. never saw such ill breeding and impertinence," said the Colonel, colouring violently; "and to call you Ellen too, that young man deserves to ."-" He is my first cousin, Sir," said Ellen, calmly, but firmly. The Colonel was shocked, confounded, and silenced. "Miss Mortimer," said he at length "there is no apology too humble which I am not willing to make to you for what I have uttered; had I known, as indeed I ought to have been informed, that Mr. Mandeville was your relation, I would not only have been silent when I could not commend, but I would even have endeavoured to like him for your sake. Why did you not tell me who he was?"-"It was my place to do that, Colonel," said Mrs. Ainslie; "but I had my reasons for not doing it; and I am sure my young friend will " I forgive you your unintentional offence."-"Yes, certainly, Sir;" cried Ellen; but what you said of poor Charles gave me great pain. I own that he was positive and contradicting, but then one ought to make allowances for him. He was full of irritation from his disappointment concerning the Alfred, and when one is uneasy and mortified one is so apt to be disagreeable and tenacious, and-and." "And what, Ellen ?** "Why, there was something very provoking both in Colonel Delborough's manner and your's too, my dear friend."-" Granted, granted; and I like you for your candid and spirited defence of your relation, so does the Colonel, I dare say.' "Oh! I adore her for it; and, indeed, charming Miss Mortimer, I should not care how often I was so attacked if I could be sure to be so defended. Now tell me how I can expiate my offence? To appease and please you I will call to-morrow, and leave my card for Mr. Mandeville; will that do?"-" Generously and delicately felt, and like you, Colonel; but I trust Ellen will not exact such an amende from you." "By no means; I am too proud for poor Charles, to do it. Let him be thought deserving the honour of being known to Colonel Delborough before he has it; but I will not impose my cousin as an acquaintance on any man."-" Proudly and honourably felt, Miss Mortimer, and I sincerely hope that before long I shall not only know, but like Mr. Mandeville; at least, no endeavour on my part shall be wanting to enable me to do so, and I must own that I saw him and heard him this evening with prejudiced eyes." "See Ellen," said Mrs. Ainslie, soon after; "Mandeville did not go home to take poison, however mortified he might be; for there he is yonder, the life of the set in one of the pit boxes, and laughing with all his power." It was so; and Ellen, being assured that Charles did not remember or feel as much for his late painful embarrassment as she did, forgot it also, and enjoyed as much of the last ballet as she dared to look at, and enjoyed also the buz of admiration which her new and beautiful face excited in the crushroom, while the gallant Colonel enjoyed it still more, and was in rap tures when every now and then some man of ton or rank whispered in his ear, "Oh, Delborough, you are always a happy fellow." When Mrs. Ainslie thought over all that had passed she was startled on recollection, as she had been at the time, with the manner in which Ellen had defended Charles; but at length she reflected that it was her relation whom she defended; she considered that if she had seemed less hurt her tranquility must have been assumed, which would have been a very suspicious circumstance; and that had she been violently agitated by still struggling, conscious love, she would have been unable to speak at all, or only in broken faltering tones; whereas, on the contrary, she was voluble, and judicious in Charles's defence, evidently proving, therefore, that she defended him from a sense of justice, and a feeling of relationship alone. It is well, thought Mrs. Ainslie, and I see that this faithless boy's reign is over. He certainly thought so himself; he therefore wished to dismiss, rather than wait to be dismissed; he chose to assure Ellen that he loved her no longer, rather than receive from her a previous assurance that her attachment to him was at an end, and he wrote to her as follows: "DEAR ELLEN-I meant to see you once more; but, as I find that I am no favourite with Mrs. Ainslie, and indeed she was not far from being downright rude when I last saw her, even though she was in the box which I procured for her, I do not mean to call at the house again; therefore take this method of wishing you health and happiness. I am going abroad, and it will be many years probably before we meet again, both of us by that time will probably have changed our situations, but I shall always be. 66 My dear Ellen's "Affectionate friend and Cousin, "CHARLES Mandeville." When Ellen received this letter, she could not help weeping bitterly over it; not that she was sorry, or even mortified that Mandeville's attachment to her was at an end, but she wept for the loss of those pleasing illusions which had so long given interest to her existence. She wept for the loss of the love, not the lover; and she felt a blank in her heart which seemed to remain there a sad and dreary void, till the day before her departure arrived; then the idea of home, and the welcome which awaited her there from many an affectionate heart, diffused a glow of cheering and impatient tenderness to her own. To part with Mrs. Ainslie was now the only thing that clouded over her brow, for that lady had twined herself round her affections, by entering with tender sympathy, and almost with intuitive penetration, into all her fears, her sorrows, her triumphs, and her escapes. But, that pang over, she was cheerful, and willing to try and make her companions so; when she found herself seated in a travelling chariot, by the side of a lady and gentleman, friends of Mrs. Ainslie, who were going through the village of R, in their way to a more distant country. him long ere this. He has been so ill that he has kept his bed."" Indeed! but I earnestly hope he is better?". "Yes."" Then I am satisfied;" and Ellen was really ashamed to feel that she was glad to find necessity, not choice, kept him away, even though that necessity was caused by indisposition. But a few minutes after, pale, thin, and wrapt up as in the depth of winter, Sir Henry Claremont himself appeared. "I would have come," said he, "Miss Mortimer, when I heard you were arrived, in spite of nurses and physicians, for I was sure the sight of you would do me more good than all of them; but I am very weak, and I need not tell you I am you I am very ill-looking."-Ellen was affected, nay, overpowered; for she could not help contrasting this welcome, this eagerness to see her, with that of Charles Mandeville; and, while overwhelming sensations of affectionate gratitude and painful recollections throbbed tumultuously in her soul, she hurried out of the room, having almost returned Sir Henry's pressure of her hand as she passed him. But she soon came back, and eagerly, anxiously entreated Sir Henry not to risk a life so precious, by staying out any longer in the night air." If you say ly," said he; "and if you will add, pray come again soon "-" I will say any thing rather than detain you now, you look so pale; and yet very like your picture." "My picture! have you seen my picture?" The travellers slept on the road, and at so short a distance from London that it was nearly evening the next day before Ellen saw each well remembered object, and beheld the lodge at Sir Henry Claremont's Park-gate. Perhaps, thought she, he will be there, watching for me; he will be there, waiting for my army life is precious, I will go directrival. But he was not there, and Ellen felt disappointed; perhaps he was at her uncle's, he was not there either; and in the midst of the affectionate greetings of her family Ellen felt sad, because she was not welcomed by one friend more, and he had professed so much, and had been so markedly attentive in sending her presents to London; was he, too, inconstant? Was she doomed to find all men false? If not, where was Sir Henry Claremont; she dared not enquire, because, as she said to herself, she did not like to shew she was mortified; but perhaps it was because she did not feel it easy to name him. But when she had been home near an hour her uncle said, Ungrateful girl! Why, Ellen, you have never yet enquired for Sir Henry Claremont !"- "Oh, dear, no; I hope he is well." No, cer tainly not, or you would have seen 66 Eur. Mag. July, 1823. Yes, frequently; for Mrs. Ainslie fell in love with it."-" Mrs. Ainslie fell in love with it; O kind Mrs. Ainslie; but could not she make her love catching? But you are impatient for my departure, so good night. Oh! I am so happy to see you again returned, I feel well already." I have little more to relate; in six months after Ellen's return she was the happy wife of Sir Henry Claremont: and, as Mrs. Ainslie wrote to her in her letter of congratulation, she felt that she had indeed cause to bless hier Journey to London, as it had taught her to distinguish the FALSE from the TRUE. E TWA WORDS TO THE SCOTCH-FOWK IN LONDON. My darling country-fowks, how's a', In this tremendous clauchan; I meet ye whiles as grave as priests, Blyth clattering and laughin'. On brigs, in squares, in mony a street, Your hardy visages I meet, Aye, meet ye thick and thrang, But let us ramble whar we will, * Upon her heathery mountains wild And hopes we'll gree wi' ither; Sae bena swear to wag the han', Yet guide still, your pride still, Ye maistly a' do brawly ken Whar humble virtue dwells; Nor fret then, to get then, Ye're easy kend, ye silly rakes, The lan' whar ye were born. Gae way and mimick Johnnie Bull, Your rattling reasons in your skull Nae mense there, nae sense there, |