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Huntley has it all to answer for; not I," said Lewis"but why should I be surprised? All women are more or less coquettes."

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Now, you are falling into the vulgar error, my honest friend, and prefer laying the fault of an individual on the whole sex, to confessing that individual to be less perfect than many others. Nay, you are doing Rosinå injustice in calling her a coquette, though I own, her conduct to night deserved the epithet of coquetry. But many circumstances, and your ill-concealed vexation among the rest, conspired to make her act recklessly and foolishly. Perhaps even by this time, she may be sorry for her levity. Endeavour to judge of her less like a lover, and more like a reasonable being, if possible; and neither exact super-feminine perfection, nor degrade your goddess into a flirt-the most contemptible character to be found among the sex."

Lewis sighed, and repeated his good-night.

CHAPTER XVI.

A DAY OF PLEASURE.

THE following day was Sunday. Lewis, the son of a rector and the guest of a vicar, had no intention of awaking feelings at variance with the duties of the day, by calling at the White Cottage; and, far from cherishing sentiments of enmity towards Rosina, he felt more kindly as he knelt by her side and repeated the same prayers.

Who can be angry on a Sabbath? Not those who after a week of trouble and toil, wake to a consciousness that the ringing of the anvil has ceased, that the flail lies silent on the threshing-floor, that the husbandman and the manufacturer taste of the strange thing, leisure, and that the bell is summoning rich and poor to learn the same duties and crave the same blessings in the temple of God. Not those who feel that whatever bad passions they foster six days in the week, pride should be reined in and contention hushed while the air around them is yet musical with admonitions to love and peace, and with the mingled orisons of assembled multitudes. Not those who, if they ever pause and think, in the midst of

dissipation's feverish career, it is on that day when the laws of this country cause places of public amusement to be closed and commerce to stand still, that the small voice of conscience and the gayer cry of nature may for a few short hours be heard.

Afternoon service was just beginning, when the unusual sound of carriage wheels was heard without; and shortly after, a very pretty woman in a very pretty bonnet, entered the church, and advanced towards the vicar's ample pew. This, as Mr. Russell had no occasion for its use, had continued to be occupied by the Wellfords, who now with silent smiles made room for the unexpected visitant. This lady was Mrs. Shivers of the Pleasance. Her country-seat stood in the adjoining parish, but she was in the habit of coming once or twice in the course of the summer, to hear Mr. Russell's afternoon sermon. Only a sort of bowing acquaintance had hitherto existed between her and the Wellfords: on the present occasion, however, Mrs. Shivers was disposed to be very friendly and gracious. During the two years she had spent on the continent, Matthew and Rosina had grown from mere boy and girl, into very prepossessing looking young people; and she had heard enough of Mrs. Wellford and Hannah from Mr. Russell to make her resolve to improve their acquaintance on the first opportunity. No sooner, therefore, had the service ended than she shook hands all round, mistaking Lewis for Matthew, and Matthew for his younger brother Harry: (no wonder she was surprised at his growth!) and the mistake was not thoroughly explained till they reached the churchyard. Then, she laughed at her own blindness, wondered she should have fancied a likeness where there was no relationship, was corrected in that particular, and finally invited the whole family to spend a long day at the Pleasance. Mrs. Wellford excused herself on plea of the distance, but Mrs. Shivers, increasing in earnestness in proportion to the difficulties started, would take no refusal, and offered to send her poney-carriage for them on the following day, if they had no other engagement. She smiled so winningly that it was impossible to refuse: Mr. Russell and Lewis were included in the invitation, and the lady drove off, after making captive at least half a dozen hearts.

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"Charming woman!" exclaimed Rosina warmly, as they walked home. How completely her manners are removed from hauteur and affectation, while it is impossible not to feel that they are those of high breeding !”

K*

"The best of it is," said Mrs. Wellford, "that it is not mere manner which fascinates us in Mrs. Shivers, but real kindness of heart. Mr. Russell tells me he knows of no one possessed of more genuine excellence of disposition. It is true she is fond of the gaieties of a London spring; and, formed as she is to give and receive pleasure in society, who can wonder at it? Enough of the summer, autumn, and winter still remains for her to have much leisure for self-improvement, and for doing a great deal of good among her poorer neighbours."

Exactly the sort of woman I should like to be, and the sort of life I should like to lead !" said Rosina. "With such good looks, such resources, and such a fortune, a woman of of her age may be quite as happy, I should think, as in the bloom of youth."

"Who can doubt it?" said Hannah.

"No one so sage as you are, of course," returned Rosina, laughing; “but I, for one have always wished le printemps de la vie could be perpetual."

"A very foolish wish, my dear," observed Mrs. Wellford. "Happiness depends on the moderation and gratification of our desires, not on the number of years we have told.”

"But suppose, mamma, those desires should be for a continuance of youth, beauty, and admiration ?”

Then, Rosina, I should say the person that had formed them was very weak; and as much an object of contempt as pity."

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Very likely; but still that does not prove that the 'dark brown years' are naturally as happy as those of youth.”

"You just now said," interposed Hannah, "that you thought a woman of Mrs. Shivers's age might be quite as happy as in the spring of life."

"Ay, but how few Mrs. Shiverses there are! and even she in another ten or fifteen years will no longer be enviable. If her sight fails, what will become of her reading? if she grows deaf, what pleasure can she take in society? or, if rheumatic, what will become of her charming rides in her poney pha

ton ?"

"Even with all these calamities Hannah," she may yet be happy. struck me last night-"

"What! at Mrs. Good's ?"

attendant on old age," said There is a passage which

"Yes, in one of the books which had been used for the Sortes Virgilianæ. It was in one of Lady Mary Wortley Monta

gu's letters, concerning the comforts peculiar to old age I cannot repeat it to you word for word, but I will shew it to you when we reach home."

Hannah remembered her promise, and looked out the passage. "You must consider," said she, "that Lady Mary was nearly seventy years of age when she wrote this letter, in a foreign country, removed from all her family, and almost wholly prevented by weak sight from reading: in her youth she had been a wit, beauty, and coquette; few, therefore, could have had a better opportunity of comparing feverish exciting pleasures with those of monotonous tranquillity; yet what does she say? It was formerly a terrifying view to me that I should one day be an old woman. I now find that nature has provided pleasures for every state. Those alone are unhappy who will not be contented with what she gives; but strive to break through her laws, by affecting a perpetuity of youth; which appears to me as little desirable at present as the dolls do to you, that they were the delight of your infancy.' She was happy, you see; yet she had no very lively feelings of religion. She does not say that God has provided,' but that nature has provided pleasures for every state.' If such content and satisfaction are the result of mere philosophy, what would be the increased happiness of a woman of religion, one who could look back, not on a youth of frivolity and vanity, but of well-sustained trial?”

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Very well argued indeed!" said Rosina. "Certainly, Hannah, you are cut out for a parson's wife. What an excellent helpmate you would be to darling Mr. Russell! You would not only make his puddings, but make his sermons."

Hannah did not lose her composure, nor even blush at this sarcasm. I have no ambition to fill the post you have assigned me," said she, "nor do I think my interference would be wanted either in Mary White's puddings or Mr. Russell's sermons.'

"Perhaps not," returned Rosina, "but remember, after all, Hannah, the old age you have been describing is that of a wife or widow; not even you can soften the dismal fate of an old maid."

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'Nay," said Hannah, "try the passage I have been reading in another way. It was formerly a terrifying view to me that I should one day be an old maid. I now find that nature has provided pleasures for every state-' It reads quite as well."

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Ay, but it has never been written; it is no result of ex

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perience," said Rosina. Oh, my dear! the old age of a single woman must be very forlorn."

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Why so?" said Hannah.

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Unless she has outlived all her friends, which, I grant, must be melancholy enough in any state, she has the connections of her youth who have grown old with her, the same useful and innocent pursuits, and the same religious consolations."

"Ah, but my dear Hannah, the ridicule !”

"For what? Do women always marry sensible men?” Oh, certainly not."

"What honour is there, then, in the addresses of a fool? Surely the woman who accepts a weak, worthless man, merely to avoid the name of an old maid, is more ridiculous than one to whom only the negative stigma attaches, of never having had an offer. Is that the indispensable requisite? Ladies would do well, then, to pin a list of their conquered knights on their sleeve. But I did not know that the diamond of which dozens of idlers have inquired the price, was more valuable than those shut up in the jewellers' drawer, or sleeping in their mine."

My dear Hannah," exclaimed Rosina with sudden energy, I am certain that if you should have the misfortune to be an old maid, you will be the best that ever lived!"

Mr.

Hannah smiled, but sat down to read without replying. The following morning was as fine as Hannah had hoped and Rosina anticipated. In preparing to visit so stylish a lady as Mrs. Shivers, even Hannah was obliged to devote twice as much time as usual to the cares of the toilette. Huntley was consequently disappointed of his sitters, for Rosina could scarcely spare time to run down stairs to make their excuses. "Poor Mr. Huntley!" cried she as she was returning to the bed-room where Hannah was unfolding mus lins and ribbons, "he looked so disappointed! What a thousand pities he is not going to the Pleasance!"

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Nay, it will be too ridiculous of you, Rosina," said Hannah, "if you spoil your day's pleasure by regretting the absence of a person you see at least once in every twentyfour hours."

"Who would have thought of the philosophic Hannah's quoting ridicule as an evil to be avoided?" said Rosina with some pique.

"You dread it so much sometimes," said Hannah, "that I thought I could urge nothing more likely to frighten you into

common sense."