good-night, and drew up the glass, saw Valancourt among the crowd at the gates. Before the carriage drove off, he disappeared. Madame Cheron forbore to mention him to Emily; and, as soon as they reached the chateau, they separated for the night.

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On the following morning, as Emily sat at breakfast with her aunt, a letter was brought to her, of which she knew the hand-writing upon the cover; and, as she received it with trembling hand, Madame Cheron hastily inquired from whom it came. Emily, with her leave, broke the seal, and, observing the signa ture of Valancourt, gave it unread to her aunt, who received it with inpatience; and, as she looked it over, Emily endeavoured to read on her countenance its contents. Having returned the letter to her niece, whose eyes asked if she might examine it, Yes, read it, ebild," said Madame Cheron, in a manner less severe than she had expected; and Emily had, perhaps, never before so willingly obeyed her aunt. this letter, Valancourt said little of the interview of the preceding day, but concluded with de claring that he would accept his dismission from Emily only, and with entreating that she would allow him to wait upon her on the approaching evening! When she read this, she was astonished at the moderation of Madame Cheron,

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and looked at her with timid expectation, as she said sorrow fully-"What am

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to say, Madam?"

Why we must see the young man, I-believe," replied her aunt, " and hear what he has further to say for himself. You may tell him he may come.' Emily dared scarcely credit what she heard. "Yet, stay!" added Madame Cheron, "I will tell him so myself." She called for pen and ink; Emily still not daring to trust the emotions she felt, and almost sinking beneath them. Her surprise would have been less, had she overheard on the preceding evening what Madame Cheron had not forgotten, that Valancourt was the nephew of Madame Clairval.

What were the particulars of her aunt's note Emily did not learn, but the result was a visit from Valancourt in the evening, whom Madame Cheron received alone, and they had a long conversation before Emily was called down. When she entered the room, her aunt was conversing with complacency, and she saw the eyes of Valancourt, as he impatiently rose, animated with hope.

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"We have been talking over this affair," said Madame Cheron; "the chevalier has been telling me, that the late Monsieur Clairval, was th brother of the Countess de Duvarney, his mother, I only wish he had mentioned his relationship

to Madame Clairval before, I certainly should have considered that circumstance as a sufficient introduction to my house." Valancourt bowed, and was going to address Emily, but, her aunt prevented him. "I have, therefore, consented that you shall receive his visits; and though I will not bind myself by any promise, or say that I shall consider him as my nephew, yet I shall permit the intercourse, and shall look forward to any further connexion as an event which may possibly take place in a course of years, provided the chevalier rises in his profession, or any circumstance occurs which may make it prudent for him to take a wife: but M. Valancourt will observe, and you too, Emily, that till that happens, I positively forbid any thought of marrying."

Emily's countenance, during this coarse speech, varied every instant, and towards its conclusion her distress had so much increased, that she was on the point of leaving the room. Valancourt, meanwhile, scarcely less embarrassed, did not dare to look at her, for whom she was thus distressed; but when Madame Cheron was silent, he said, Flattering, Madam, as your approbation is to me, highly as I am honored by it, I have yet so much to fear that I scarcely dare to hope."-" Pray, Sir, explain yourself," said Madame Cheron; an un

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expected requisition, which embarrassed Valan court again and almost overcame him with confusion, at circumstances, on which, had he been only a spectator of the scene, he would have smiled.

"Till I receive Mademoiselle Saint Aubert's permission to accept your indulgence," said he, falteringly" till she allows me to hope—” "Oh! is that all?" interrupted Madame Che

ron.

"Well! I will take upon me to answer for her but at the same time, Sir, give me leave to observe to you, that I am her guardian; and that I expect, in every instance, that my will is hers.”

As she said this, she rose and quitted the room, leaving Emily and Valancourt in a state of mutual embarrassment; and when Valancourt's hopes enabled him to overcome his fcars, and to address her with the zeal and sincerity so natural to him, it was a considerable time before she was sufficiently recovered to hear with distinctness his solicitations and inquiries.

The conduct of Madame Cheron in this affair had been entirely governed by selfish vanity.-i Valancourt, in his first intervi w, had with great candor laid open to her the true state of his present circumstances and his future expectancies, and she, with more prudence than

humanity, had absolutely and abruptly rejected his suit. She wished her niece to marry ambi→ tiously, not because she desired to see her in possession of the happiness which rank and wealth are usually believed to bestow, but because she desired to partake the importance, which such an alliance would give. When, therefore, she discovered that Valancourt was the nephew of a person of so much consequence as Madame Clairval, she became anxious for the connexion, since the prospect it afforded of fature fortune and distinction for Emily, promised the exaltation she coveted for herself. Her calculations concerning fortune in this alliance were guided rather by her wishes than by any hint of Valancourt or strong appearance of probability; and, when she rested her expectation on the wealth of Madame Clairval, she seemed totally to have forgotten that the latter had a daughter. Valancourt, however, had not forgotten this circumstance, and the consideration of it had made him so modest in his expectations from Madame Clairval, that he had not even named the relationship in his first conversation with Madame Cheron. But whatever might be the future fortune of Emily, the present distinction, which the connexion would afford for herself, was certain, since the splendor of Madame Clairval's establishment was such as to excite the