before repeated, on the beauty of the screens which she had made for them.

Then arose innumerable questions, which Constance repeatedly answered with exemplary patience :-What sights she had been seeing-what great houses-what public amusements; then she was made to describe her new acquaintances with whom she had danced at each ball, and whom she liked best—and which she preferred, opera or French playand where she was to go next-and what she was painting -and which preacher she preferred, and what she read-and how she could find time for so much;-all ending with the exclamation of "How industrious! and what a charming creature she was!" And as these good ladies all talked and questioned together, the replying to them was a task of some difficulty.

"Do tell me something of Lord Merryon; I once knew his father," said Miss Byng, sighing.

"He is tall, and has a noble air," replied Constance. "What do you say about his hair?" said Matty.

The word had caught Mrs Byng's ear ;-" Hair," said she, "whose hair, my dear? I am sure I know nobody's like yours-what did you say, my love?-do, Sarah, let me hear what my sweet Constance says! well, my dear, who did you speak of?"

Only, madam, of Lord Merryon; I said that he has a noble air."

The first syllable only reached her, however;-" No-no hair! Lord bless me ! you do not say so !—that Lord Merryon has no hair!-and what does he do with his head? has he a wig?"

"He has hair, cousin ; but you have mistaken me

Mrs Byng, not hearing her distinctly, followed her own thoughts, saying, "Very odd indeed-how old he must look! -and yet he cannot be more than a youth, for his father was a contemporary of my Sarah. Poor Sarah!" trying to lower her voice," he admired her extremely, and she might, I daresay, have been married to him, but you know the old song about true love—it would have been a fine thing-well -and you say, Constance, this young man looks old, or odd, I forget which."

"She said neither," roared Matty; "you did not hear her right, and you took up quite a mistake; cousin Constance

said that he is a fine, noble-looking young man, and charming, I believe."

66

No, no, I do not say so, indeed "

Stay, don't interrupt me; I want to get what you said into my mother's ears. She says, ma'am "

"But I wish, sister," said Sarah, "you would suffer Constance to repeat it herself, and then I shall have her own soft voice. I do not see her countenance; so I wish, when we have our kind cousin with us, to listen to her."

Constance pressed Sarah's hand, and deeming it a vain attempt to set this affair right, was beginning a new subject, when Mrs Byng suddenly recollecting Lord Merryon, again asked innumerable questions about him; the answers to which Constance repeated slowly and distinctly, so that the poor old deaf lady comprehended them, and busy Miss Matty was not obliged to raise her harsh voice to repeat them.

"Have you ever danced with his lordship?"

"Yes, I have."

"But have you often danced with him, eh, tell me that?” said Matty.

"No-O yes, I believe I have; I meet him often at balls." "Oho!" exclaimed Miss Matty, looking cunning; "I see how it is, and all about it—O ho! well, how dull I was not to guess sooner about you and Lord Merryon !"

"Matty," said Sarah, quickly interrupting her, "we must not forget Mrs de Romelie's request, not to say those kind of things to Constance."

"How mighty exact you are, sister! Well, but that reminds me, Constance; is it true that Miss Williams, your old rector's daughter, is going to be married?"

"I am not sure; we heard some report, but I doubt it; she is too sensible to marry at her age.

"I don't know why you should doubt it; why, Constance, you are like a child, and think every one too old to marry that is more than twenty!"

"No, cousin, not exactly that, but she is considerably beyond that age; and she is so happy at home, I imagine she would not change now."

"That is a wide mistake, I guess," said Matty; "did you hear of her settlements, and all the odd arrangements-ill contrived, as I think?"

"I do not know anything of them, or, indeed, understand those sort of things."

"Oh, then you soon will, I dare say, when a certain coronet is laid at your feet; but I can tell you all about Miss Williams, and how foolish she is not to insist on a jointure, and make the most of her bargain; but

"

"What in the world are you talking so much about?" exclaimed Mrs Byng; "Matty, you keep Constance all to yourself, and I want to hear what she says. Now tell me,

my dear, what new dresses have you got since?" "None; I have sufficient at present.'

"How well I remember you," continued Mrs Byng, “in your little pink slip, and nice tambour muslin frock, the first time I ever saw you at Clarens Court; your hair curling on your forehead so prettily; and you were such a good child! how sweetly you repeated your hymns and poems, and then you said your catechism so correctly every Sunday! Your mamma taught you so well, and gave you every Sunday, regularly, a little religious instruction! I never knew a child so well taught, nor any young person who combines the useful and the ornamental as you do, my pretty Constance. Nay, nay-say nothing, my dear; you are very modest, but I must speak as I think. I know none like you so diligent in your improvement, and so exact in all your duties, and so well instructed in everything important, and so admired too!"

"I cannot say that I think much of her religious instruction, if only given on Sundays," interrupted Miss Matty; my opinion is, and always was, that she was not half taught on that score, and that is not very extraordinay neither, for a person who is not herself enlightened cannot well teach; and her mere Sunday instruction will do little good."

"On whatever days she was instructed in religion," said Sarah, "it has succeeded well; I am sure no seed was thrown away that was sowed in her mind. Kind, charitable Constance! how good you are to come to us as you do! It is by such compassion, and by your forbearance, that you shew yourself a real Christian, and not by talking perpetually on the subject!"

In this manner passed the long hours of this visit. Dinner and tea had successively occupied the party, and supplied a portion of bustle too tiresome to be amusing, and too well

known to Constance to assist, by its novelty, to "press the weary minutes' flagging wings." At nine her mother's carriage came for her, and she gladly took leave of her cousins, though attached by their partiality, and touched by the kind importunity of their affection.

While driving home, Mrs Byng's allusions to her childhood recurred to her mind, and particularly what had been said in regard to religion.

"And, after all," thought Constance, "do I deserve a hundredth part of all that these poor friends say of me? I am glad they do not think me spoiled by fashion and the world; they can judge of that.

"But they talk of my knowledge; and what is it? More, it may be, than they possess, but not surpassing that of any well-educated person. They spoke of my diligence, my industry, and they said truly, for I certainly am very diligent; but what is the object? Merely the attainments which contribute to my vanity, which are only for show! But I fear that I have neglected more serious knowledge. I have often felt the want, the deficiency in my mind. Notwithstanding cousin Matty's sharp voice, I believe she said but too truly that Sunday instruction is not sufficient; and yet, even on that day, how little I really think on the subject! How seldom do I reflect steadily! How often my thoughts wander to worldly objects! and how slight my religious studies! Matty is right; I ought to know more deeply the religion I profess, and the Bible which should be my guide. But I will begin to reflect: I will try every day."

Here the carriage stopped. She was met on the stairs by her father, to remind her that Lady Dulwich was to call for her to take her to Mrs Hunt's ball. She hastened to dress; and in a short time found herself in the midst of a gay and brilliant assembly.

Q

CHAPTER VI.

Tell how her manners, by the world refined,
Left all the taint of modish vice behind.

LYTTELTON.

In the immediate hurry of preparation for Mrs Hunt's ball, and in the splendour of the apartments, and of the crowd, the mind of Constance was in some measure withdrawn from the reflections which had occupied it during her return from Mrs Byng's; yet, after a short time had passed, the impression was renewed and rather strengthened by that which would have completely displaced those thoughts from a frivolous trifling mind-the contrast between the scene she had left, and that which she was now with many hundreds engaged in. The contrast was rendered the more striking by the similarity between Mrs Byng's former place in the world, and that of Mrs Hunt. Mrs Byng had, like Mrs Hunt, been the wife of a banker, and had, like her, flourished in all the splendour and importance derived from wealth. The sudden failure of the bank had reduced the Byngs to dependence; and the idea of the present distress of the one and prosperity of the other disposed Constance to reflect, perhaps more than she was wont, on the vicissitudes and uncertainties of human life, and recalled to her mind the consciousness, so lately felt, of the futility of all her own pursuits; and she might probably have moralised very effectually on those subjects, though at a ball, had she not been interrupted by Mr Neville, who made his way towards her the moment he discovered she was in the room. He quickly perceived that she was not in her habitual spirits, and he thought the pensive expression of her countenance made her more beautiful than ever. But it was so unusual to her, that he attributed the change to some distressing cause; and imagining that the absence of Lord Merryon was connected with the