could begin to calculate, by days, the pe riod of his arrival, her agitation arose to a degree of feverish and nervous height, that far more resembled pain than pleasure.

At lady Louisa's request, Geraldine had resumed her old quarters at her house, though she still kept up a friendly intimacy by visits with Mrs. Rainsford.

At length a letter arrived, announcing that Mr. Fitz-Clare was in Ireland, and lady Louisa had to inform the trembling Geraldine that she might, in two or three days at farthest, expect to see her father.

The formidable day arrived, and lady Louisa had taken care it should be an uninterrupted one. At the moment the longexpected stranger was announced, her ladyship was sitting with only her two daughters, as she now fondly called them, in the little dressing-room. The door opened, and she welcomed the stranger by his name welcomed once more to his long-resigned native home the exiled Southwell Fitz-Clare." Your daughter,"

she

she added, but, overcome by contending emotions, was unable to point out to him which was his daughter; and hiding her face in her handkerchief, sunk upon the sofa, giving way to a flood of tears.

Fitz-Clare's eye glanced quickly from Matilda to Geraldine; though both beautiful, it was evident he would have been disappointed had the former proved to be his daughter; but the first glance at Geraldine's expressive face was sufficient to convince him which was the child he had been forced to abandon.-" You-you are the daughter of Isabel!" in a smothered voice he exclaimed, and rushed forward to meet her anticipated embrace.

When all parties were a little recovered, lady Louisa was the best able to support the conversation. Geraldine contemplated in silence the object of so many secret wishes, and listened, in breathless anxiety, to the sentiments that issued from his lips.

The first moment he struck her view dissipated many vague apprehensions that

she

she had, till now, almost unconsciously entertained.

Whatever imagination has pictured as venerable and majestic in an ancient Irish king, was realized in the noble aspect of Gerald Fitz-Clare. He looked older than his years; but it was evidently care and a mild thoughtfulness, not guilt or intemperance, that had imprinted those furrows on his brow. His conversation completed the impression his appearance had begun.

His was one of those rare spirits which misfortune ameliorates, instead of souring; all his faults indeed had proceeded from a misguided enthusiasm and an exalted imagination; and in the solitude of his subsequent retirement, to return to virtue was to return to himself. Of him it might indeed be said

"His heart was formed for softness-warped to wrongBetrayed too early, and beguiled too long "

The pride of imputed talent, the flattery of evil counsellors, and the desire of

being supposed to think with originality, had been his ruin; but the guilt into which those errors had plunged him, severely as it had been visited, had by none been judged so severely as, in his maturer years, by Gerald Fitz-Clare himself.

During his exile, philosophy had been his consolation, but it was philosophy enlightened by religion; and while both taught him to acquiesce in his hard fate, they served but to present the heinousness of his errors in still more lively colours to his view. His character inspired Geraldine with respect; but when drawing her near him, he tearfully retraced her resem-: blance to that mother whose place in his heart had never been filled up. When he listened, delighted, to the encomiums her maternal protectress passed upon her merits, and seemed to experience a revival of youth, on hearing his beloved Geraldine was likely to be placed in a situation equal to her highest deserts and wishes, love was added to the respect she felt for

him, and she experienced the most lively desire of contributing to the happiness of so good a father.

Though Mr. Fitz-Clare staid a few days in town, in compliment to sir Charles and lady Louisa Southwell, it was evident he longed for the privacy and retirement of the country. He could not be prevailed on to enter into any society, or appear in any place of public amusement; and except to lord O'Melvyl, with whom he expressed himself highly pleased, and lord Beaudesert, whose "hard consent" had at length been won, he declined being presented to any body.

The day was fixed that Geraldine was to accompany him to his seat in the county of Wexford, and she anticipated, with a mixture of youthful delight and awe, the idea of visiting, with her father, those domains of which he had imagined himself deprived for ever.

With what mingled feelings did Gerald Fitz-Clare, after such a lengthened banishment,

VOL. III.

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