Adonis of my acquaintance, whose friends compute that he is in the habit of sending three despairing damsels every year to Bristol Hotwells! The next morning I saw from my bedroom window Mrs. Hartland and Sidney walking on the lawn: she seemed to employ much declamation, and some action; and he had very much the kind of aghast, subdued look which even a clever man wears when he is receiving a vehement lecture from a lady. After breakfast, at which Marian did not appear, Sidney requested me to walk out with him. "I really do not see," he said, "how I can well avoid making proposals to Marian Lovell: Mrs. Hartland tells me that I have quite gained her affections."

"Before I give you my opinion, Sidney," said I, "answer me this question; have you ever given Marian Lovell reason to suppose that you prefer her?"

Never!" he replied warmly: "never have I breathed a word to her that I might not harmlessly have uttered to any married lady in the house, without awakening the displeasure of the most jealous husband."

bearer of a letter to Sidney, requesting him to pay him a speedy visit at his family-seat, but did me the honour of inviting me to accompany him. Now, indeed, my prognostications for my friend were on the point of realization; now was he certain of introduction in the circles most likely to appreciate and most able to benefit him; he would throw off the pigmy fetters of Hartland Hall as easily as Gulliver freed himself from the trammels of the Lilliputians. I reached my uncle's house, and was warmly welcomed by all but Sidney; he had a fearful, deprecating look, which seemed to me to say, "I have behaved very foolishly; but do not triumph too unmercifully over me."

As soon as we were alone, he said to me, "I have proposed to Marian Lovell, and been accepted. I know you must think I have acted unwisely; I deliver over myself and my brideelect to the infliction of your censure and ridicule."

"You may do so with perfect security," I rejoined, "for I am not in the least disposed either to ridicule or to censure you; I took the liberty "Then, Sidney," I exclaimed with energy, of giving you my opinion-which, after all, you "let no solicitations, no arguments induce you must remember was only the opinion of an into bind yourself to her: sorrow, mortification, dividual-before you had definitively parted with and repentance will be the inevitable result of your freedom of choice; but now, so far from such an union. If my aunt and uncle are ill-hearing a word from me in disparagement of judged enough to wish it, if this poor girl has been led by them to give you her unsought affections, let not your peace and prosperity through life be sacrificed to the folly of others. Marian's feelings do not appear to be acute; she has known you but a short time, and she will soon forget you: she will be happier, far happier as a stranger to you, than she could ever be as your ill-assorted and unloved wife!"

your Marian, I am prepared to believe that, if not already delightful, she cannot long fail of being so under the advantages of your example and companionship."

Accordingly I immediately set myself to work to study the brilliant qualities of Marian Lovell. I had endeavoured to persuade myself that, like Undine, she would have ceased to be soulless when distinguished by the attachment of a being The appearance of Mr. Hartland hastening superior to herself. I could, however, only towards us prevented Sidney from replying to decide that although she sang rather more feelme; and, for the first time in my life, I received ingly, talked about poetry rather more fluently, information from my uncle that I was hastily looked a little prettier, somewhat livelier, and a summoned from Hartland Hall on professional great deal happier than she did a month ago, she business, without having the information coupled still would be considered a bore in aristocratic cirwith any expression of regret on his part at cles, a cypher in literary society, and an unintel the necessity of parting from me. A wealthy lectual dawdle by the domestic fire-side; which, client, whose claim to a disputed estate I was after all, is the principal scene of an Englishadvocating, had suddenly discovered a paper of man's happiness. Some days elapsed, and Sidney importance to his cause, and had sent his car- played the part of lover warmly and affectionriage for me, requesting my immediate attend-ately. At length he expressed a wish to renew ance for the purpose of inspecting the deed in question. Thus were the match-makers delivered from a dangerous spy, and my poor friend deprived of a protecting guardian. My client speedily introduced me to a nobleman just returned from abroad, who had discovered the important paper in a family chest containing a large collection of old deeds; and this "friend "Did you not say the other day," he rein need" was Sidney's uncle-the Earl of Castle-marked, "that Sidney might obtain advantageous ton. As the fortunes of my client are not in connexions through the introduction of Lord any way connected with my story, I will merely Castleton?" say that at the end of ten days, I had placed his affairs in a position favourable to success; that Lord Castleton, with whom I had held several interviews, had treated me with the utmost kindness as the remembered friend of his nephew's boyish days; and that he not only made me the

his acquaintance with Lord Castleton and his family by accepting the invitation of which I had been the bearer. I earnestly advised him not to go thither till after his marriage. The first time my uncle was alone with me, he expressed his astonishment at my contradictory conduct.

"Yes, my dear uncle," I replied, "but I fear that in the fascinations of Lord Castleton's circle, he might be tempted to look with regret and repentance on the connexion which it is now his duty to cement still closer: I allude to his betrothinent to Miss Lovell,"

"Really," said my uncle, with virtuous indig- | narrow income, a dull, ill-dressed wife, an occanation, "the profession of the law appears to me sional visit to an obscure watering-place, a few to give its members a very bad opinion of human Christmas dinners and spring tea-parties, and nature. I can only tell you that I was engaged an annual cheap concert and day's excursion for two years to your aunt (who objected to leave to the Beulah Spa; till the claims of a rapidly her mother on account of her declining state of increasing family should render even this style health). During that time I paid at least ten of living "too gay" to be consistent with pruvisits at the country houses of my friends; but dence, and every spare sovereign must be I never met with anybody who tempted me to conscientiously devoted to the purchase of copyforget my engagement." books and pinafores for the rising generation. My uncle, when I represented to him Marian Lovell's mental inferiority to Sidney as a reason why it would be impossible for him to love her, used triumphantly to quote a maxim from Rochefoucault, that “ we love those who admire us, more than those whom we admire;" but my uncle did not seem aware that both recommendations may be united, and that we may be warmly admired by those whose qualities of mind and manner are such as to ensure our own admiration in return. Such was Sidney's present position: the high-born, intellectual people around him gave him a disinterested tribute of admiration; and his knowledge of their capability of judging, must have made their commendations of his poetry and singing far more gratifying to him than the perpetual eau sucrée of Marian Lovell's "how charming, how exquisite !"

I did not consider that it would be either wise or courteous to enlighten my uncle as to the difference between himself and Charles Sidney, and I therefore suffered him to remain the victorious possessor of the field of argument. | Two days afterwards, I accompanied Sidney to Lord Castleton's beautiful country residence, which had undergone many embellishments and improvements, in preparation for the reception of himself and his family. Sidney and Marian exchanged affectionate adieux, and promises of correspondence; and the former proved as lively and fluent a travelling companion as if love were confined to the shrubberies of Hartland Hall, and had no power to exercise its dominion beyond their limits.

The phrase "a charming family" is very hackneyed, but that to which we were now welcomed fully deserved the distinction: the father was a thoroughly advantageous specimen of the polished English nobleman; the mother refined, gentle, and intellectual; the two daughters accomplished and amiable, their native sense and sweetness improved by reading and travel; and the eldest son, Lord Aveling, a clever, intelligent young man, with a fervent admiration for talent, which displayed itself very shortly after his introduction to Sidney, in the warm interest which he felt and expressed for him. The younger branches of the family were pleasing and unaffected, the guests numerous and entertaining, some possessing high birth, others high talent; a few stars well known in the literary world were to be found among them, and a few distinguished foreigners gave variety to the

circle.

About ten days after our arrival at Lord Castleton's, Sidney abruptly addressed thus:

me

"You gave me very good advice, Nugent, when you advised me not to propose to Marian Lovell. I wish I had taken it; I am completely weary of my engagement."

66

Having given you one piece of advice which you profess yourself sorry to have rejected," said I, "let me give you another, which I hope you will accept. Now you are engaged to Marian Lovell, do not tell even your nearest friends that you repent of what you have done."

"But how insipid, how companionless she is!" exclaimed Sidney. "How would my cousins Lucilla and Charlotte find subjects on which to converse with her? In fact, however, she was in perfect keeping with all the arrangements of Hartland Hall; the library was half filled with wooden books, the billiard-room was useless because nobody played, the greenhouse had nothing in it but myrtles and geraniums, the horses never went beyond a walk, and no songs were ever to be found on the music-stand but the eternal Irish and National melodies."

Imagine a young man like Sidney, overwhelmed by the notice and admiration of such a party; not doled forth with the cautious parsimony of middling life, where people are afraid of "committing themselves" by being over civil to any one who might not be eligible as a future guest or connexion, but lavished with unmeasured, uncalculating profusion. Music, nearly allied "That may be all very true," said I, a little to professional excellence, occupied the evenings. nettled at this graphic sketch of my good uncle's The library was resorted to in the morning, not ways and means of providing entertainment for merely for the purpose of reading, but for that his visitors; "but you will be pleased to recolof literary and scientific discussion; and the lect that even Hartland Hall was considered by "admirable Crichton" of the party, as Lord you a very agreeable change from the close air Aveling good-naturedly denominated him, was and crowded streets of London. Marian Lovell appealed to on every subject, and chosen as the was sufficiently attractive to chain you comarbitrator of every dispute. I saw all this, and pletely to her side, in defiance of all my warnsighed. How happy would it have made me a ings and remonstrances; and it is somewhat few weeks ago to have beheld my friend so hard that she is to be deemed accountable for honoured and esteemed! But, now, in what was all this scene of enchantment to end? In a her inferiority in conversational talent to your cousins Lucilla and Charlotte, when she has small house situated in a nameless street, a never seen them, and when, at the time of your

"I little thought," I continued, "that I should ever have to quote the conduct of a mere man of the world as an example to one of your strict honour and unswerving principle; but do you not remember that when Colonel Corbyn rode over yesterday, to solicit the vote of Sir John Belgrave for a gentleman just about to stand for the county, Sir John replied that he would most willingly have given him his vote had he been aware of his intention of standing, but that he had previously promised another candidate; and the moment he uttered these words Colonel Corbyn desisted from all further solicitation. Shall a promise between man and man be so respected when it merely involves worldly interest, and shall a promise be lightly broken between man and woman where the tenderest affections of the heart are concerned?"

been so completely the spoiled child of society for the last few days, that he was ill disposed to brook rebuke or admonition; instead of answering my appeal, he contented himself with drawing from his pocket a letter directed to him in Marian's pale, prim hand, and requested me to read it, and give him my opinion whether it was the letter of a woman of intellect. I returned it to him, saying, "It is the letter of the woman who, in the sight of God and man, is considered as your future wife.'

For several days Sidney seemed to shun my society, and I could not but think myself rather unfortunate, that after the unbroken friendship of so many years I should first be treated by him with coldness because I wished to dissuade him from entering into an engagement with Marian Lovell, and afterwards with resentment because I endeavoured to prevent him from breaking it. However, I knew that in both cases I had acted with the best intentions; and I indulged the hope that in time Sidney would be ready to acknowledge my sincerity, and to restore me to my former place in his regard. I was the more disposed to think that his good sense and good principle would speedily incline him to do justice to Marian, because I clearly "But you told me once that you did not think perceived that he had not fallen into the dangerMarian had acute feelings." ous embarrassment of being "on with a new "I told you so before you had committed your-love" before he was "off with the old." Lady self by showing her any attentions beyond those Lucilla, the eldest of his cousins, was engaged of good-breeding and courtesy; you have now in marriage, and Lady Charlotte was so conavowed your regard for her, and obtained from spicuously plain in person, that even the beauher the promise of devoting her future life to ties of her mind could not render her an object you. Can you for a moment think that her feel- of great captivation in the eyes of a young man ings could be otherwise than cruelly wounded by of seven-and-twenty; the other single ladies in the conviction that you repented of your engage- the house, although they all seemed to consider it a matter of fashion and good taste to be in love with Sidney, were equal in their attention towards him, and received an equal proportion of attention from him in return; there were no invidious distinctions, no one of whom he appeared to feel inclined to say

ment?"

"I will confess all to my cousin, Aveling, and ask his advice."

"I do not approve the term you adopt; confession infers somewhat of a crime or fault, and what have you done that is criminal or faulty, in engaging yourself to an amiable girl, of respectable station and competent fortune, and whose mind and manners have certainly rather improved since your first acquaintance with her?" "If Lord and Lady Castleton were to think it well that my engagement should be dissolved, would it alter your opinion?"

No, nor if every son and daughter and every guest of Lord and Lady Castleton were to echo their opinion; and I feel painfully convinced, Sidney, that your ideas on the subject of right and wrong must be greatly confused by temporary circumstances, before you could for a moment believe that so dishonourable a course as that of breaking off an engagement could be sanctioned by considerations of mere expediency. There is no happiness but in the path of truth; the God whom we serve is a God of truth, and we shall never gain his favour or secure his blessing by seeking a remedy for our passing evils and troubles in the dim, despicable mazes

of falsehood."

Sidney looked at me with some surprise. I was not in the habit of lecturing, and he had

"So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows, As yonder lady o'er her fellows shows."

I did not, however, much like the constant private interviews and whispered consultations between Sidney and Lord Aveling. I did not consider the latter at all likely to be a fair judge of the cause in question, for he admired his cousin so enthusiastically, and had built such airy castles respecting his future success in life, that I felt assured he would, on the first hearing of the case, decide that poor Marian was an insipid dowdy, to whom it would be terrible that Sidney should be sacrificed, and that it would be greatly conducive to the happiness of both parties that the engagement should be immediately broken off.

One day, a letter was delivered to me, and another to Sidney; they both came from Hartland Hall. Sidney disappeared with his, and I found that mine was from my uncle. I was not much surprised, although much grieved at the contents. Mr. Hartland informed me that Sid