he is hoarfe, he fhall never talk me out of my fenfes."

"No, to be fure, girl, you are of an age to carve for yourself; befides, what can he know of these matters ?"

"Nothing," replied Sufan, "nothing in nature; you heard him fay he had reafons of his own why Henry cou'd not be his fon: O' my confcience! I believe him, poor man; thofe reasons of his are foon guefs'd at: he knows no more about it than this bed-post; nay, not fo much, for how fhou'd he come at it ?"

"Lack-a-day!" refumed the dame, "he is a goodly pious creature; but he forgets that young women have their fortunes to make.”

"Aye, and their pleasures to purfue," added Sufan; "though, with his good-will, they fhou'd do nothing but fing pfalms and hear fermons; if he had his way, he wou'd be for locking us all up like nuns in a cloister."

"Well, well then, follow your own fancy, and don't heed what he says to prevent it."

"That's my good mother," quoth the hap→ py girl, nimbly turning herself about; "i'faith, I'll follow your advice, and not regard what

he

he fays to the contrary. A fine piece of work he made forfooth about nothing, only because the dear lad gave me a civil kifs, and no harm done!"

"I told him there was no harm," rejoined the Dame, "I told him he was too ftraitlac'd in thofe matters; and I dare fay, if the Squire offers at any fuch liberties, your own difcretion will take care no harm fhall follow it; one wou'd not lofe a friend for fuch little freedoms, fo long as they are inno

"The Squire, indeed!" cried Sufan; " name him not, filthy creature, I abhor and deteft him, and had rather a toad fhou'd touch me than he; but Henry-"

"What has got in your head now?" replied the mother, somewhat peevishly; "I am talking to you of Squire Blachford, and you are rambling about Henry: I am recommending a good place to you, and your thoughts run a gadding after the lad in the next room. Ah! Sufan, Sufan! thou wilt always be a gill-flirt, hankering and hankering for everlasting after the young fellows, but don't forget the main chance, my girl; remember service is no inheritance; make hay, as the faying is, while

the fun fhines, and don't let a good thing go

by you.

"It may be a good thing in one fenfe," faid Sufan, "but there is a very bad thing belonging to it. I know the Squire full well, and for what bafe purposes he makes this offer: he wou'd have me be to him as Mrs. Locket was, whom he's tir'd of, but I fcorn it; I wou'd fooner beg my bread round the world with Henry than ride in my coach with fuch a nafty, black, old, heartless wretch as the Squire. Ah! mother, mother, all his kindness to you is but coaxing and cajoling to make a fool of you, and fomething else of me. If you had but feen what he did yesterday."-" Why, what did he do?" eagerly exclaim'd the mother," you frighten me out of my wits.". " "Twas well I frighten'd him out of his," replied Sufan," by screaming and struggling, and forcing him to let me loofe, or I know not what wou'd have happen'd; but I got out of his clutches, and made him let Henry out of the flocks, or I wou'd have expos'd him to the whole neighbourhood. But now, mother, don't fay a word of what I've told you, for I gave him my promife I wou'd not tell of it; nor wou'd I have open'd my lips, if you had not prefs'd.

prefs'd me about his offer, which I am fure you wou'd not now wish me to accept."

"Not for the wealth of the world, my child," replied the good Dame, " wou'd I have you take a fervice on fuch terms. Well, of a certain that man must have the cunning of the devil in him, for he talk'd to me in fuch a ftile, that I no longer believ'd any one of the bad ftories that are told of him, but took them all to be mere fpite and malice; and when Mr. Daw talk'd against him a while ago, I took his part, and was angry with the good man for liftening to fuch fables: Alack-a-day! what a world is this we live in !"

Dame May had now got into the moralizing vein, the lulling quality of which foon began to take effect; her words died away in drowsy murmurs, the vifions of ambition faded from her fight, and the gentle god of fleep no longer needed folicitation to befriend his aged votary after the accustomed fort.

Half of his task was ftill unfinished; the bright eyes of Sufan were not fo willing to be clofed, nor could he ftill the throbbing of a young high-paffioned heart, which panted for other confolation than his foft quiet could bé

ftow.

ftow. The wanderings of fancy were not fo easily allayed, and projects upon projects rofe in fucceffion to puzzle and perplex her brain : but even meditation and the thoughts of love will yield at last to Nature's kind restorer, balmy Sleep; and though, perhaps, there were other arms in which fhe would more gladly have repofed herself, the love-fick damfel fell at length into the embrace of that delufive power, which has nothing to beftow but dreams and vifions and unreal fhades.

CHAPTER IX.

A domeftic Scene in upper Life.

LET us now fteal away with filent tread or tiptoe from the pallet of the fleeping damfel, to vifit the more fplendid but lefs peaceful chamber of the Lady Crowbery.

Upon her return from Zachary's, the crept up to her room, hoping there to pass a few undisturbed moments of private meditation, for her heart was full, and her thoughts unfettled; in spite of the letter fhe had lately heard read

to