my commands upon you, not to stir out to-day again-it is a very damp raw day-I am sure my cousin will excuse you," turning to Gertrude; "he had a most dreadful cold in his head last week,-I assure you I was quite frightened at it."

"Phoo! nonsense, my dear," said the Major, still hovering between delight and vexation; nobody would have thought anything of it but yourself."

"How can you say so, Major, when I counted that you sneezed seventeen times in the course of an hour and a half-and that's what he calls nonsense!"

Leaving the loving pair to settle this tender dispute, Gertrude contrived to steal away from them.-"Oh! the luxury of solitude after the company of fools!" thought she, when she found herself outside the house, and alone.

CHAPTER XIV

Now rest thee, reader! on thy bench, and muse
Anticipative of the feast to come;

So shall delight not make thee feel thy toil.
Lo! I have set before thee; for thyself

Feed now.

DANTE.

THORNBANK was situated on the side of a rapid gurgling river, abounding in picturesque rocky scenery. It was a meek, grey, autumnal day, when earth borrows no tint from sky, but, rich in its own natural hues, presents a matchless variety of colour, from the wan declining green to the gorgeous crimson and orange-nature's richest, saddest panoply! The sweet mournful song of the Robin was the only sound that mingled with the murmur of the stream. It was a day for musing and tender melancholy-a day that came o'er the heart "like a melody that's sweetly play'd in tune."

Trite as the reflections are which have been drawn from this solemn season, and obvious as is the moral which points to the heart at witnessing the decay of the beauties and the graces of the material world, still the same train of thought will naturally arise in every mind of sensibility, and the same sober hue insensibly steal over the soul," hues which have words, and speak to ye of Heaven."

Relieved from every tormenting object, Gertrude sat down on a rustic seat, hung round with many a drooping scentless flower, and resigning herself to the soothing influence of the day and the scene, she gradually sunk into those enchanting day-dreams-those beautiful chimeras, which a young romantic imagination can so readily create. The pleasures of imagination certainly were hers, but as if only to render her more susceptible to the annoyances of real life.

She was recalled from the illusions in which she had been indulging, by sounds little in unison with the harmonious stillness that surrounded her; a weak giggling laugh falling at intervals upon the ear, its pauses, filled by a sharp,

loud English tongue, louder and louder, still drew near; and presently Miss Lilly Black, leaning on the arm of a little, spruce, high-dressed young man, appeared. Much surprise, and joy, and affection, was testified by Miss Lillias at this meeting with her cousin, and Mr Augustus Larkins was introduced with an air of triumph and delight. Mr Augustus Larkins was what many would have called a pretty young man-he had regular features-very pink cheeks-very black eye-brows-and, what was intended for, a very smart expression. He was studiously dressed in the reigning fashion, but did not look fashionable for all that. He had a sharp, high-pitched voice, and a very strong, but not a pure, English accent. Such was the future cousin to whom Miss St Clair was now introduced; and with many flourishing bows, and with much mouthing about honour, pleasure, and so forth, on his part, the ceremony was happily got over.

"Dear me, cousin, have you been sitting here by yourself?" said Miss Lilly, in a soft pitying tone;"what a pity we did not know, and we could have come sooner, you must have been so dull !"

"I did not find it so,” replied Gertrude.

"Ah, you Scotch ladies are all fond of solitude," cried Mr Larkins-" Witness that noble apostrophe of my Lady Randolph's in your celebrated tragedy of Douglas, 'Ye woods and wilds, whose melancholy gloom accords with my soul's sadness, and draws forth the tear of sorrow from my bursting heart!'-How uncommonly well that was got up last season at Drury Lane; you have, of course, been in town, Mem ?"

Gertrude replied in the affirmative.

"And which of the houses did you give the preference to ?"

She had not visited the theatres.

"No, sure!-is it possible, Mem, to have been in town without seeing either of the houses? how prodigiously unfortunate! but,"—with a significant smile to Miss Lilly-" I hope we shall have the pleasure of showing your cousin the lions by and by; in town, we call it showing the lions, to show the sights and shows to our country-cousins."

"O, that will be delightful, won't it, cousin ?" asked the simple Lilly,-but her cousin only-coloured with contempt at the idea.