who has torn from me my life-my soul! Oh, that the ground would open, and that thy

accursed heart were engulfed in fire unquenchable!"

Pierce threw himself,

exhausted, into

a chair, and became lost in a retrospective vision of his past life. Its pains and pleasures, hopes and fears, expectations and disappointments, fled rapidly before him; by one object guided-by one bright star illumined—the lapse of years seemed but as moments; the unvarying hand of time seemed hurried into that pursuit where all his joys had been centred, and all his expectations wrecked.

Insensible to the approach of night, he remained gazing listlessly upon the drapery of the room, whose varied tints were reflected in the moonlight; and had not yet been able to determine in what manner he could, under existing difficulties, proceed in his intentions, when he

was startled by a gentle tap at the door, accompanied by a voice that pronounced his name, in an accent he thought he could not be deceived in. The cornet answered, by instantly opening the door, and, to his astonishment, beheld his old acquaintance and friend, Dennis Hogan, the groom.

"Whist, whist, masther," said Dennis; "she's dead, she's dead."

"Dead!" said Pierce, with most fearful anticipations, "who?-what?-who's dead ?how came you here ?”

“The ould missus, Sir, has kicked; God presarve us―ould Missus Lovett. So I thought, hearing you was here, I'd just come and tell you."

"Mrs. Lovett dead !" exclaimed Pierce, and

paused for a moment;

"Thank God!" he

added, and dropped into his chair.

"Amen!" said Dennis.

The faithful groom now told our hero, that in the packet which arrived from Dover the preceding day, both the Lovett family and his new master, the Honourable Mr. Hare, had been passengers; that in the course of conversation in the cabin, Mr. Hare, not having heard the names, and not being acquainted with the persons of any of the Lovett family, had accidentally introduced the subject of the cornet's romantic attachment, and stated the different circumstances in detail to a friend of his and of Pierce, who happened to be on board. Mrs. Lovett, though ill and laying in her berth, was so situated as to be able to hear the whole of Mr. Hare's statement, which her husband, who was present, did not think prudent to contradict; this led to a violent discussion between the rector and his lady, immediately after they had landed, and the effect of this great excitement, operating upon an exhausted and irritable frame, caused

Mrs. Lovett to rupture a blood-vessel, which

produced instant death.

The cornet's prospects now shone in cloudless brilliancy; all impediments to his happiness vanished with her who caused them. The complying rector, who, if left to the exercise of his own judgment and the dictates of his own feelings, would long since have relinquished an unprincipled opposition, and extended to our hero the palm of reconciliation, now hastened to assure him of his regret for the past and his wishes for the future. Pierce was too sensible of the good man's real character, not to receive his advance as it deserved. Insults were forgot, injuries were forgiven; and on the morning which succeeded the cornet's night of anger, disappointment, despair, and surprise, he pressed to his transported heart the cherished idol of his devoted attachment.

Pierce and Susan had much to hear and

much to tell; arrangements for the future were,

:

however, of paramount importance and after much discussion on propriety, feelings, happiness, and the danger of procrastination, in the investigation of which subjects the Reverend Barnaby Bottom, in despite of his lumbago and incipient gout, lent the aid of his mental powers, it was finally determined that after the Cornet's labours at Sandhurst should have been concluded, and that he had obtained, as they had no doubt he would, the high recommendation of the board of general officers, that ceremony should take place which was to unite his fate indissolubly with that of Susan.

THE END.

LONDON:

SHACKELL AND BAYLIS, JOHNSON'S-COURT, FLEET-STREET.