Huntley is a man of the world, but Lewis is a man of birth and breeding. Good heavens! what a laugh Harriet Brown has! Not much breeding to spare in that quarter, I think. People may come from London, and yet not abound in gentility. I wonder whereabouts that Bloomsbury is, they are always talking of. A good way from the west end, I should fancy."

"Why, Matthew, what makes you so bitter to-night?"

86

Am I bitter? Well then to please you, I'll try to be sweet. What a sweet turban Miss Holland has on!"

66

I

"You ought to offer your services to her at the tea-table." No, no, there are men enough to do that, without me. shall pretend not to see I am wanted. We are such a large party that there are not enough chairs, and if I were to leave my place, Mr. Huntley would whip it up before I could say Jack Robinson ! He has been shifting from one foot to

another these ten minutes."

I dare say he is tired with his walk."

"His walk! what a walk! Not half so far as I have been to-day. All over to Hundleford on foot, and nobody at home when I got there. If that was not enough to—"

“Ha, ha, ha!"

"What are you laughing at, Rosina ?"

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I have found out what makes you so surly."

"I surly?" said Matthew, colouring. "If I am surly, it is because I am tired and vexed with walking five miles in the sun, and five miles back again in the rain, and all for nothing. There! I have caught Miss Holland's eye now! She beckons to me. I must go! What a pity, when you and I were so pleasantly talking off our weariness to each other!"

Matthew lost his place, as he had anticipated, and Rosina seemed marvellously resigned to the change in her companions. A noisy tea was succeeded by a more noisy game of forfeits, ostensibly for the sake of the young Goods, though it was carried on with equal spirit by many of the grown up members of the party. Farmer Holland loved to promote merriment, and Huntley and Rosina delighted him by the liveliness with which they kept up the game. Towards nine o'clock, Matthew Wellford found himself walking home between his sisters.

"Well Rosina," said he, "I hope you and Mr. Huntley have been talking nonsense to each other's satisfaction."

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Now, Matthew, don't be ill-humoured. People do not

VOL. I.-O.

come out to make themselves disagreeable to their hosts and hostesses, do they ?"

Why, no-only I think there was rather too much of it to-night.'

"Of what?"

"Of noise, and flirting, and romping."

"Romping! oh, Matthew!"

I don't know what else you could call Phœbe Holland's running off with Mr. Huntley's hat, and his running after her."

66

Oh, there I agree with you. I thought you were alluding to me."

"And even you-" began Matthew.

"And even then," said Rosina, appearing not to hear him, "it was Phoebe Holland's fault, and poor Mr. Huntley ran after his hat very unwillingly."

"It is my opinion," said Matthew, abruptly, "that grown people ought never to play at children's games. They are sure to go too far, or else look awkward, as Hannah did tonight, when it was her turn to forfeit. Their mirth can never be like the mirth of children. Ignorance of decorum and wilful forgetfulness of it are two very different things." "Very different," repeated Hannah.

"And I am sure, you, Hannah, wished more than once that my mother had been of the party."

"Well," said Rosina, with a sigh, "altogether it has been a pleasant day."

66

I should not have thought a rainy fête champêtre could have been very delightful."

66

Oh! but my dear Matthew, the rain did not begin till dinner was quite over, and even then, we amused ourselves very well under the trees."

"How?"

66

By telling stories. Mr. Huntley invented a most beautiful tale-"

66 Pshaw!"

"Quite on the spur of the moment, Matthew!"

"Pshaw!"

"And what do you think! He plays the guitar!"

"Pshaw!" repeated he with tenfold emphasis. "That has lowered him ten per cent. in my opinion. How ridiculous, how contemptible, for a man, an Englishman to play on a guitar! I would as soon play on a penny whistle!"

Rosina was too much hurt to reply, and they reached their

garden-gate in silence.

ed a cordial farewell.

Hannah and Matthew then exchang

"Good night, Matthew," said Rosina coldly.

"Good night, Rosina," replied he, taking hold of the edge of her bonnet, and obliging her to turn her head to yield a reluctant kiss. "I am sorry I have vexed you by my grumbling, which I did not begin in earnest. Čome, Rosy, you and I won't quarrel, shall we?"

"No, indeed, Matthew," replied she, entirely relenting. "That's right," he replied; "my mother is in bed I dare say, so I shall not go in again. Good night."

The girls entered the garden. Both were glad to find themselves at home. Hannah had had some pleasure, but with considerable alloy. Huntley's conduct had distressed her; Lewis's absence had made her uneasy; added to this, was the consciousness that her mother was unwell at home, and the fear that Rosina might suffer from the change of weather. As for Rosina, her head ached tormentingly; she was tired, feverish, and half exulting, half unhappy. She felt elation and yet remorse at having refused Lewis; afraid of its coming to the knowledge of her mother and sister, and of their reproaches. Come what might, she thought she could never suffer too much for Huntley, and yet his conduct this evening had been very equivocal, and filled her with a vague, uneasy sentiment of jealousy. Wearied by the noisy gaiety at Farmer Holland's, she longed for silence and darkness, that she might think over all that had happened and might happen.

Mrs. Wellford had sat up for her daughters; and had the satisfaction of telling them that her head-ache had left her. "Have you had a pleasant day, my dears," said she.

"Very pleasant, mamma," replied they both, in an accent of resignation.

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'I have not been without visitors. Lewis has been here." "Indeed," said Rosina, colouring with alarm.

"Yes; he told me the reason of his quitting you so abruptly. Poor fellow! I was well disposed to pity him when I was suffering, myself. He was evidently feverish and far from well. I fear he caught cold that day at the Pleasance." "I am sure I hope not," ejaculated Rosina as she lighted her bed candle.

So he is going, to-morrow, it seems."

Going!" exclaimed Hannah.

Yes; did not he mention it to either of you?"

"Not to me."

"Nor to me.

Well, that is strange. He really appeared quite moved when he wished me good b'ye; but I told him I took it for granted we should see him to-morrow before he started."

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'Well, I am surprised at his leaving us so soon," said Hannah.

Rosina could not say that she was. It was easy to gather from what had passed, that Lewis had not betrayed the reason of his quitting the gipsy party. Mrs. Wellford appeared wholly free from suspicion. After talking over the events of the day for a short time, they wished their mother good night. The sisters undressed in silence. At length, just as Rosina was preparing to lie down on her pillow, Hannah said earnestly,

"Dear Rosina, just tell me one thing. Did Lewis-"

"Oh! don't keep me awake by talking of Lewis," cried Rosina impatiently, “my head aches to distraction, and I am dying for want of sleep.

Hannah was silenced, and after meditating on the little she knew of what had passed, yielded to slumbers as sweet and tranquil as her own disposition; while Rosina remained to toss on her pillow, and vainly seek refuge from her disquieting reflections.

CHAPTER XX.

MEDITATIONS AND VEXATIONS.

WHEN Rosina awoke the next morning, she remembered having settled just before she had fallen asleep, that if her heart had not been pre-engaged by Mr. Huntley, it would have been impossible to have withheld it from Lewis Pennington. She had thought over every syllable that had been uttered, and had been forced to acquit Lewis of any unjustifiable bitterness of language; nay, she went back to the evening at Mrs. Good's, and thence to the whole of Lewis's stay at Summerfield, and she felt that however she might resent his charging her with coquetry, it was not undeserved. If she had been convinced from the first, that she could not re

turn his affection, she ought to have avoided a thousand opportunities of which she had availed herself, of perplexing and teazing him. The fact was she had been vain of her power; she had delighted in riveting his chains, without considering or caring how much this paltry pleasure was counterbalanced by the uneasiness of an honest and warm-hearted young man. Now, the last proof of his affection had been given; the offer had been made; and strange to say, the prerogative of refusal had occasioned more compunction than satisfaction. To balance the knowledge of having wounded a very feeling heart, could be set no village gossip, no wonder and envy of female friends. Lewis had promised to keep the secret; and there was nothing she more dreaded than its being surmised or divulged. Rosina sighed. Hannah slept, though the early sunbeams streamed through the white curtains: she therefore softly rose from her sister's side, dressed herself noiselessly, and went down-stairs. Leaving Betty, with her broom and tea leaves, in undisputed possession of the parlour, she entered the garden.

It was usually Rosina's custom to pay a visit to her flowers before breakfast. This was well known to Lewis, who had occasionally strolled down the lane, as if by accident, to have the opportunity of exchanging an early good-morrow with her. Perhaps as she now bent over her roses and pinks, she was half expecting, half wishing that he might steal down the lane, to give her an opportunity of speaking and looking kindly before they parted for ever. As if in echo to her thoughts, a quick step was heard behind the hedge. Rosina's heart beat fast; the garden latch was raised, and she dared not look up, though she heard some one approaching. Bending over her flower border, she affected not to hear the quick breathing of the intruder, who was either much agitated or grievously out of breath, though her crimson cheeks betrayed her consciousness.

Alas! how much artifice was wasted! Mr. Russell's footboy, hight Joseph Gibbs, unceremoniously dispelled all illusion by saying "a letter, Miss;"-touched his hat, and was gone. Rosina felt a pang of disappointment; she recognized Lewis's hand writing, and hastening to the most sheltered part of the garden, she tore open the letter, and read as follows:-

"If there had been the slightest word, look, or action of your's Rosina, during our yesterday's conversation, on which