bad her Tadyship certainly succeeded, this day in Maining a complete conquest.

10.YDO.Y

every seducing art that the Marchioness was complete mistress of, was employed to render this condescending brotherly visit of his Grace worthy of the favour conferred on her husband; nor were the most seemingly anxious enquiries after the health of dear Lady Agatha forgotten by this most artful, yet to all outward appearance, most amiable and fascinating, of women.

"I have seen my dear child only this morning," uttered his Grace, "and, I thank your ladyship, am happy to say that she is charmingly well, notwithstanding the presages which young married women always feel in a certain delicate situation."

"Which, thank heaven, does not last for ever, that's one comfort for our dear little Agatha," uttered her ladyship, and smiled enchantingly; in short, in the eyes of the Duke, his sister-in-law never appeared to greater advantage; but there was evidently a forced restraint on the feelings of the Marquis, his brother, to join in the mirthful pleasantry of his lady, though it passed unnoticed by his Grace. On the name of Lord Winstone being announced the whole party sat down to dinner, when the attentions of the latter gentleman were certainly exclusively devoted to the beautiful Lavinia, whom he had scen several times before, with eyes of the most passionate admiration, though kept within bounds of the most delicate propriety; and her ladyship certainly succeeded this day in obtaining a complete conquest over his heart, though unconscious to himself that her ascendancy was so powerful. Handsome, elegant, rich, accomplished, and possessed of the most unblemished principles, Lord Winstone was a desirable match for a daughter of the first peer of

the realm, but particularly so to Lady Lavinia Montault, whose portion was so inconsiderable, and as her mother had informed her, that if she did not marry, well, she could derive but little portion of wealth from her father.

The moment therefore that she perceived she had made a favourable impression on the heart of Lord Winstone, she encouraged his advances as far as ever she was able, consistent with maiden modesty; but on this day that Lord Winstone became the guest of the Marquis of Montault, his attentions to his lovely daugliter were so delicate, yet so strongly manifested the sentiments she had inspired him with, that no one being present could doubt of their nature. In short, the instructions which her mother had given her, with re spect to this noble lord on a former occasion, when he danced with her at Lady Tannington's Ball, had never been forgotten by the youthful Lavinia, who never appeared to greater advantage than she did in the eyes of her lover at her father's table; for the simple elegance of her dress was far more becoming than whenever he had beheld it so sumptuously adorned in the fashionable and splendid parties where they had first met; there was also a bewitching reserve in Lady Lavinia, which, certainly adds to maiden loveliness, but can never diminish the charm of beauty, and which, to men of refined delicacy and sentiment, is a thousand times more engaging than the most brilliant vivacity, or the most lively or piercing wit; but the truth was, that Lady Lavinia was abashed by the presence of the Duke and her father, and therefore conversed but little with Lord Winstone, who it ap

peared liked her the better for this very timidity which she affected, for certainly it was not naturally a feature in her character. 3

mcAfter dinner, some interesting conversation ensued, animated on the part of his Grace, grave on that of his brother, elegant, lively, and spirited on that of Lord Winstone, and most fascinating on that of the Marchioness.

"I protest that I am absolutely half inclined to quarrel with my son, for not joining our snug little party to day, your Grace," uttered her ladyship; "and I will make him do penance every day next week for it."

This remark produced a polite enquiry from Lord Winstone, after the health of Lord and Lady Montague Montault. It may be reinembered in a former part of this history, that Lord Winstone, in company with his friend Sir George Cleveland, had once accidentally encountered Agatha with Olive and Jessy Blust, one evening on returning from a visit to Margaret Crafty; and that both these gentlemen having indulged too freely in the juice of the grape, had alarmed the young ladies by the effect of their gallantry; but to the then supposed Miss Singleton, by whose charms he was particularly attracted, Lord Winstone had thought proper to offer the most ample apology. This circumstance had often occurred to his lordship's recollection whenever the name of Agatha was introduced, and he did not mention her now without betraying some embarrassment, and a slight tinge of colour mounting to his cheek, the cause of which not being known to any of the party, it passed unnoticed.

But there was another cause for the roseate tint on the

to feast his eyes daily on such beauty, to sit at the same table with her, to gaze on her charming, energetic, and soul-speaking countenance, or to listen to the sound of her voice, which was melody itself, these were joys reserved for Peter Blust and not for him; andA Lord Winstone, in the midst of love's soft emotiony or rather commotion, cursed his stars that he was not an old fisherman instead of a peer of the realm; for he believed that Miss Singleton, with her present protector by her side, was neither come-at-uble for him or any one else, and that, like the Hesperian fruit, she was guarded by a dragon, too formidable to suffer any one to invade his territories, or permit her being approached with impunity. Lord Winstone feared therefore that he must give up the chase, or seek it through any other channel, than having Peter for a pilot to steer hinr on his voyage thither.

Give up the chase! are you then going to make Lord Winstone a fox hunter in the wilds of love? Lord Wind stone, of whom fame has spoken so highly-a professed and practised libertine? for shame Mrs. Authoress.

No shame at all, gentle reader, for the authoress is not going to make Lord Winstone any such thing; she would blush to see his name enrolled among the list of the licentiates of the present fashionable day, and must positively exculpate both him and herself from the charge.

Lord Winstone had not formed the remotest notion of what kind of sentiment he felt for Agatha, the feeling at present being only admiration, or if passion, it was, to use the phraseology of a most celebrated and admired author," a passion so transiently caught, that