marble bason, whose waters formed an object from the windows, but, in reality, as Julia had too justly apprehended, to listen to and report the words he could pick up. Her fears were but too soon verified.

As lady Claremont returned home very late from the ball, she was not visible the early part of the ensuing day; but, as Julia was preparing to meet her ladyship in the saloon, Barclay came in, with a most tragical face of assumed concern, exclaiming "Lord ha' mercy on us! what shall we all come to? There's my lady has half-murdered her little page, and is in such a twitter, I hardly dare to call my life my own. Indeed I never like to speak to her when she is in those takings."

Barclay was followed by lady Claremont, her eyes flashing, and her whole frame trembling under the excess of her emotion. Waving the attendant from her presence, she exclaimed, darting on Julia a look of the keenest indignation"So! it is admirable! I am an object of generous

for the vindication of her own honour, Julia withdrew, without waiting a reply, and left lady Claremont rather confounded at the vehemence she had so incautiously exhibited. The mischievous disposition of her little page had occasioned it. Taking a turn in the grounds, she had encountered Orlando practising by the piece of water, his favourite haunt. He had instantly related to her, and with a great deal of mischievous exaggeration, the ticulars he had heard the night before.

par

Lady Claremont listened to him with a perturbation of mind only to be guessed by those thoroughly acquainted with her character; but when Orlando came to the galling expression in which lord Rothbury exulted in being freed from her chains, she furiously exclaimed-" "Tis false!" and violently pushing him from her, his foot slipped, and, as he was already on the water's edge, the unfortunate favourite made but one step into the water.

On hearing his cries, two or three ser

vants ran to his assistance; while lady Claremont, goaded on by passion, rushed into the saloon, and loaded Miss Somerville with reproaches, as we have above related; for she was one of those inconsistent females, who, though they have absolutely rejected the addresses of a lover, cannot bear that his attentions should be transferred to another object.

Misfortunes never come singly. Scarcely had lady Claremont recovered from the confusion occasioned by her own unfeminine violence, when Barclay entered, with a heart full of malicious joy, and a face of most lamentable length, to say-"Oh dear, my lady! what are we to do with poor little Mr. Orlando? He had a shivering fit since we picked him out of the water, and is now very sick and feverish."

"Send for doctor Blake instantly!" said her ladyship. "Heaven grant the dear child has not experienced any material harm!" and, distracted with new emotions,

VOL. IV.

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tions, she flew to the couch of the suffering Orlando.

But there she was not even suffered to indulge her well-earned anxiety uninterrupted. Scarcely had she addressed to the sobbing urchin some soothing caresses, when a message came, that a gentleman, who positively refused to send up his name, requested to see lady Claremont.

Say that I am busy that I can see no one,” said her ladyship, peevishly.

"Oh dear, my lady! he has been told so two or three times over, but says he wont delay your ladyship five minutes, and persists in declaring he must see you.” Roused to some curiosity by this des cription, lady Claremont descended to the drawing-room.

She was met by a dignified-looking stranger, clad in deep black. He bowed gracefully, and said "I have to apologize to lady Claremont for an intrusion which I feel would be unprecedented, were my

motives

motives less strong than they are the reparation of error, and the restitution of justice."

Somewhat awed by this exordium, lady Claremont requested the mysterious stran ger to proceed.

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My business," he resumed, "is with Miss Somerville. I understood she was an inhabitant of the Villa Marina, or should not have troubled your ladyship."

"She shall be instantly apprised of it," said lady Claremont, and at the same time rung to desire that Julia might be summoned, when she received the unexpected answer, that Miss Somerville was gone out.

This seemed a real mortification to the stranger, who then respectfully inquired at what time he might be most likely to see Miss Somerville ?

Having obtained the desired information, he again apologized to her ladyship, and was rising to take leave, when lady Claremont, observing that he left no further message

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