specimens of crustaceology, which they, for the most part, term conchology; where, too, you are sure to be haunted by countless ragged urchins, with their bare legs, like a set of leech gatherers, or Highlanders;— Viola, I say, was delighted "To walk, where few had ever walked before, In these rambles along that wintry, stern coast, 1 frequently accompanied her, whilst the rest of the party were roaming far and wide over the face of the earth in quest of more terrene amusements. We had to endure much quizzing on our romantic propensities, and I was frequently asked, in a bantering tone, whether I had not a lover at sea. It is very odd, but I do not think any one believes in an abstract love of the ocean. That Viola should delight in these lonely rambles, was not deemed remarkable; young ladies whose lovers are away may be pardoned a little eccentricity. Miss Sidney's engagement to Lord Glenalbert was, of course, well known; still there were not wanting many young gentlemen who would kindly have beguiled the weary interval, during which she was separated from her lover, by a little innocent flirtation, but it would not do; without the slightest prudery or affectation, she talked gaily and pleasantly to all, but none could say he was more highly favoured than another. There was shortly to be a ball at the castle, and as the neighbourhood was extensive and populous, it was arranged that every family of respectability should be invited; persons with whom it would have been the death-blow of aristocracy to have mingled in London, but with whom Lady Sarah thought that, without any very great compromise of her dignity, she might associate in the country. The ball was to be a magnificent thing in its way, and many people were coming from London expressly for it. Amongst these were Mrs. and Miss Page, who thought nothing of travelling between one and two hundred miles for a ball. By the bye, I forgot to mention in its place, that as soon as Viola's projected union with Lord Glenalbert was publicly known, Mrs. Page suddenly became most exemplary in the matter of visiting, &c. She even delicately insinuated to Mrs. Sidney that she took a great deal of credit to herself in bringing about that affair, as it was at her house the young people had first met; and she wound up her discourse by saying, that" of all things in the world, her daughter Helen would like to be Miss Sidney's bridemaid; that Helen had always taken a great fancy to Miss Sidney, and there were not many persons Helen liked, she was so fastidious." It is not to be supposed that Mrs. Sidney was weak enough to be deceived by these fine speeches; but she remembered that Miss Page was a niece of Lord Dareall, and as such she thought her name would figure well among the list of fashionables who were to grace her daughter's nuptials. Miss Sidney had no love-sick female friend, no "confidante mad in white dimity," with whom she might engage in the ordinary traffic of sentimentalities, the tender whispers, the rose-coloured notes, the mutual sighs, the gentle raillery, the exchange of blushes, and the quid pro quo locks of hair, auburn for black, or black for auburn; she was wont to say that I supplied the place of all younger female associates, besides which, she was very fond of her brothers and sisters; and I don't know how it is, but I think people with strong domestic attachments are not apt to pick up stray intimacies; therefore, when Mrs. Sidney said she wished her to have Miss Page for her bride-maid, Viola answered, "As you please, mamma; I think Helen Page a good-natured, well-meaning little person; I dislike Mrs. Page, because she was most insolent to us; but I have no objection to her daughter, who-" "Oh, my dear Viola!" interrupted her mother, "let by-gones be by-gones; you will now hold such an infinitely higher station than poor Mrs. Page, that it would be quite beneath you to evince any sensitiveness to former slights ;" and as Viola did not reply, the matter was arranged to Mrs. Sidney's satisfaction. This is rather 66 a per saltum," or frog-like way of telling a story; but to return to the main indict ment. Miss Page was very fat; she piqued herself on possessing great naïveté and simplicity of character. She was one of those "unlessoned girls, unschooled, unpractised," who, with a fearless frankness, give utterance to every crude thought that passes through their fertile brains; she had afflictingly high spirits, and laughed so loud, and talked so fast, that you felt, after speaking with her (or rather after hearing her speak, for as to anything like a reciprocity of communication, that was quite out of the question), a weight on your chest, a struggling for breath, similar to that pleasantest sensation, the nightmare; in short, she ran where less mercurial people would have walked; romped where others only danced; and jested on many subjects which the prejudices of old-fashioned people have from time immemorial venerated as sacred; added to all which, she had a string of pet phrases that would have made a philologist's hair stand on end; such as, a nice man, à dear little chair, a sweet table, a glorious dress, a darling bonnet, a bewitching necklace, &c., &c. Such was Miss Page, or such she appeared to me, after two or three weeks' residence in a country house, amidst a host of signally silly young men, and superlatively sentimental young ladies, had brought her absurdities into full play. CHAPTER IX. My mind misgives; Some consequence, yet hanging in the stars, SHAKSPEARE. Avec les hommes l'amour entre par les yeux, avec les femmes par les oreilles.-FRENCH PROVERB. Les êtres crées l'une pour l'autre doivent se reconnaître à la première vue.-WERNER. LADY SARAH HERBERT had three children. Her eldest son was married, and residing on the continent, being remarkable for naught that I could learn, but his preference of every other country to the one honoured with his nativity. Miss Herbert was a singular abstraction. She passed her life in a Rip Van Winkle state of torpor; a tortoise was activeminded and agile in comparison; it was impossible to look on her without feeling a drowsy sensation creep over you. In person, she was only noticeable for the colour of her hair, which looked as though it had been spun by the silk-worm; her thin compressed lips (but that was no wonder, since she never opened them but to eat or drink), and heavy drooping lids, which seemed always about to play the part of nature's soft nurse, and curtain the eyes beneath them into most profound repose. From "eve to morn, from morn to dewy eve" again, would she sit at her embroidery, which was in her hands a complete Penolope's web: whether she undid every night her morning's work, I never could discover; certain, however, it is, that it did not appear to progress. Visions of Herculaneum and Pompeii were associated with her presence. I never looked at her without thinking of the baker transfixed at his oven, or the soldier discovered immoveable in the guard-room, or the luckless wretch with his keys and purse of gold. These could scarcely present more unfortunate specimens of "still life," than did Miss Matilda Herbert, in her own fair person. Now, if it were not that the wise ones tell us a negative quality in algebra is worse than nothing, I should have thought that nothing could be worse than this young lady's blank inanity; yet was it the fashion amongst all the visitors at Turretcliff to pronounce Miss Herbert a sweet girl, which rather posed me, until I recollected Burke's notable observation, that "insipid things of all kinds, such as water, oil, &c., approach more nearly to the nature of sweetness, than to that of any other taste;" and then most conscientiously could I join in the encomium. Lady Sarah Herbert's favourite, beyond all controversy, was her youngest son; she had been daily expecting his arrival at Turretcliff during the last fortnight; but the evening of the ball arrived, and no Mr. Herbert had made his appearance. We were all assembled in the dancing-room, waiting the arrival of the first guests. Lady Sarah, having looked at the clock, walked to the windows, which fronted the avenue, and exhibited manifold tokens of perturbation, exclaimed, in an aggrieved tone "Well, I suppose we must give up all hopes of Frank for this evening; how I shall get on without him I don't know; he is the life of every party. It is the more provoking, as he had promised to introduce his friend Mr. Lyndham, who is, I understand, a rara avis; a man comme il y en a peu, a poet, artist, musi |