my preceptor, and he has frequently bade me observe him in carving, I did so, and to him I am indebted for the specimen I have just given; I assure you I wish not to take that merit to myself which I have only borrowed from another."

"Well, but Alfred had the same opportunity, had not he?" Wolf made no reply to this rude interrogatory; but Alfred, smiling, uttered,

"True, sister, but was not so fortunate as to profit by it.”

The conversation was now changed to other topics, for Olive never continued constant to one, and was soon led to ask other questions far more interesting to her feelings and curiosity, and that was whether they had ever seen the Marquis of Montault, or any of his family, in the church of Cromer, " for I know Mr. Gillman goes there with all his young gentlemen," added she.

To which Wolf instantly replied,—

"Oh, yes, sister, and frequently conversed with them, that is, with the son of the Marquis, Lord Montague Montault, he is a most agreeable and affable gentleman, and knows Mr. Gillman; he often rides, upon his beautiful blood mare, which is one of the finest I ever was, over to our school, and sometimes he has staid to dine with Mr. Gillman."

"What, Lord Montague dine with Mr. Gillman, a poor country schoolmaster, when he can have such fine dinners at home!" cried Olive, with astonishment; " now, Wolf, you are only telling a fib, for who would believe such a thing of Lord Montague ?"

"Sister, I am rather blunt in my manner, somewhat more so, perhaps, than becomes me," answered Wolf, deeply colouring, "but no one shall accuse me of wilfully uttering a falsehood, or speaking with insincerity, when asked for the truth; I appeal to my brother Alfred, if I am not perfectly correct in what I have just asserted, that Lord Montague has frequently dined with Mr. Gillman, and does not seem to disgrace himself by being the associate of so excellent a man."

"It is certainly true, sister Olive," exclaimed Alfred;" and whenever his Lordship has staid to dinner with Mr. Gillman, he always sent for Wolf and I into the parlour, and gave us apples and pears, aye, and money too, and he would insist on it, didn't he,

Wolf? though to be sure he always asked us a number of questions; but Wolf is Lord Montague's favourite; he is very fond of Wolf, and I know why too, but I must not tell-must I, Wolf?"

The embarrassment which Wolf now betrayed, was perceptible to every one his face glowed with crimson, and he turned an angry and reproachful glance on Alfred, while he spiritedly exclaimed,

"To hint at a thing, Alfred, and withhold an explanation is neither fair nor honourable, because it is putting it into the power of every one to conjecture falsely; if I am a greater favourite with Lord Montague than you, I know no reason why I have merited this preference, the questions his lordship asked were made to you as well as to me, only you did not think proper to answer them; it was the duty of one of us to reply to interrogatories, when made by a gentleman of his exalted rank and polished manners, especially one from whom we have received so many marks of kindness and attention."

The effect of so spirited a speech, and so ingenuously expressed, confounded and abashed Alfred, and he hung down his head in silence, fully conscious that he had merited the retort made by Wolf upon his feelings, and here the subject would probably have been discontinued, but for the officious and prying curiosity of the inquisitive Olive, who longed to be informed of the nature of the questions made by Lord Montague, and whether she had been made the object of his particular inquiry; for so insufferably vain was this weak-minded girl of her personal charms, that it would have been no difficult matter to have persuaded her that Lord Montague was captivated with her beauty.

"But, dear me, what could Lord Montague say to you that you don't like to tell, Wolf?" uttered she, softening into a smile of the greatest affability, and bestowing on Wolf a kinder glance than he had beheld for many a day; "come, it will be quite amusing to hear what a lord says, cannot you tell us?"

To which, with a deeper blush, Wolf replied,

"I can certainly tell you if you are so solicitous to know, sister Olive, but I do not think that it will afford you a subject of much amusement or merriment either, it was only about one person, and that was my sister Agatha Singleton."

The expression of Olive's countenance underwent a change of no very pleasing aspect at these words, though she endeavoured to conceal it with the best grace that was possible, by smothering a rude and affected giggle, and she exclaimed,—

"About Miss Singleton, my gracious, how funny, that Lord Montague could find no- -" Olive was obliged to stop, for the look which our heroine now directed toward her was sufficiently expressive of her feelings, and she indignantly uttered,

"You are right, Miss Blust, I also have to regret that Lord Montague did not find a fitter subject to talk about than Agatha Singleton, for which, I assure you, he has neither my thanks nor my praise; I do not want to be talked of by personages with whom I have no sort of connexion."

Wolf, perceiving the involuntary warmth with which this speech was uttered, now felt it his duty to take up the cudgels for his absent friend, and with extreme earnestness assured our lovely heroine, that nothing Lord Montague had said respecting her, would reflect on the character of that amiable and honourable gentle

man.

Agatha was silent.

"But you have not yet told us what that was," cried Olive, still affecting a playful laugh.

"Nor will I, sister Olive," replied Wolf, "unless permitted by my lovely sister."

"You are impertinent, Sir," cried Olive, disdainfully tossing her head.

"I am resolute," answered Wolf,-by no means intimidated by her frowning looks.

"And properly so," rejoined Agatha. "I do not see what right you have to question the boy about me, Miss Blust, or Lord Montague, unless you intend a premeditated insult, and I must insist that the subject be no longer continued, as being of no consequence to either party,-and excessively disagreeable to me."

This was a check on Olive's propensity to mirth, and a most seasonable relief to poor Wolf; but the ever kind-hearted Jessy, in order to change the scene, which was beginning to wear a frowning aspect, immediately proposed making tea, and treating

Wolf and Alfred with some nice hot buttered cakes; to which they were all going to sit down, when Claribelle made her entrance into the room, and presented a sealed note to her young mistress.

"For me, Claribelle," uttered our heroine in some confusion, "you mistake, I have no correspondence with any one."

"But it is directed for Miss Agatha Singleton," cried Claribelle, as she placed it in the hands of her mistress, “and was brought by a servant in livery, from the Cottage on the Cliff. I asked him if he waited for an answer in return, he replied 'no,' and went away on the instant."

"From the Cottage on the Cliff?" repeated our heroine with some surprise, and immediately breaking the seal, read aloud the following words

CHAPTER XXIV.

"Ye powers! if innocence deserves your care,
Why have ye made it fatal to be fair?

Alike unfortunate, our state is such,

We please too little or we please too much."

"THE LADY who inhabits the Cottage on the Cliff requests to see Miss Singleton immediately, on a matter of importance to her own personal concerns, as likewise being connected with those of the lady's; and as the conference intended to be held with Miss S. is of the most private nature, she is particularly desired to come alone; she therefore wishes it to be clearly understood that no other visiter or visiters but HER will be admitted to the Cottage on the Cliff."

The latter part of this mysterious note, for such it evidently. appeared to be, was peculiarly and strongly emphasised, and was perused by our heroine, with a mixture of surprise and astonishment, not to be expressed; various were the expressions which stole in succession over her lovely countenance, and many were

the conjectures which filled her breast as she read the contents twice over to her equally surprised, wondering, and youthful companions; and while they looked at each other with doubt and apprehension, Wolf and Jessy almost at the same instant exclaimed,

"Go alone at this late hour," for the shades of evening were imperceptibly advancing, " to the Cottage on the Cliff; and why alone dearest Agatha; pray, pray do not think of it."

"Ah! do not venture there alone, my lovely sister," cried Alfred, with considerable anxiety expressed in his countenance.

"Do not, I implore you, beloved Agatha," repeated Jessy, "ah! that hated Cliff; I always trembled at the very name of it, yes, even when you inhabited it, it was still an object of terror to me; I always dreaded something there; alas, how shortly were my prophetic forebodings verified; the night of the tempest, the shipwreck, the loss of your poor father, the flight of the treach erous Paulo, the robbery he committed there,―all, all were connected with that frightful and tremendous Cliff. You are silent, Agatha, have you then no fears?"

"None that I either wish or ought seriously to indulge in," replied Agatha; "I am an enemy to suspicion, I would not willingly cherish that viper only to sting me, dear Jessy, if I could by any means in my power shake it off. Why should I fear, or doubt the word of this illustrious though unknown lady, who so candidly confesses that her personal interest is connected with mine ?"

"Nay, but is that probable, dear Agatha ?" timidly inquired Jessy.

"No, but there may be a possibility that it is so," replied our heroine," and if so, it is indeed a matter of the highest importance to me to be informed in what manner. Intelligence of such a nature I was certainly unprepared to expect, and I much wonder at it; still were I to treat it with indifference or with contempt, it would be exceedingly improper, and excessively disrespectful to the lady, who is my tenant, and may for aught I know be my—"

Agatha paused, but an uncontrolable sigh burst from her bosom; though for some reason, her sentence of what this lady might be to her remained unfinished, and was probably not even guessed at by any of the party.