solemnly, that you will lay open to me the whole of this dark transaction-strange thoughts have taken possession of my mind. I will no longer connive at this mystery."

It was too dark to see the working of Mrs St Clair's features; but he felt the hand he held tremble in his grasp.

"To-morrow, then-to-morrow, dear Mr Lyndsay, I promise to satisfy you more fully," said she in a voice faint from agitation—" till then be silent, I conjure you-for Gertrude's sake be silent. -Oh! do not detain me-there is the warning bell."

And she darted forwards, and ran till she reached the door, then turning round, she pressed Lyndsay's hand, and in breathless accents whispered-"For Gertrude's sake, then, you will be silent till to-morrow-you promise me this." "Till to-morrow, then, be it," said he.

Mrs St Clair again pressed his hand in token of gratitude, then entered softly, and stole up stairs to change her dress; while Mr Lyndsay, as he walked openly and deliberately to his apartment, thought" She has got the better of me, I fear, after all—but to-morrow will show."

CHAPTER XVIII.

Such deep despondence rends her trembling heart,
Conscious of deeds which honour cannot own.

EURIPIDES.

ALTHOUGH Mr Lyndsay had made all dispatch in dressing, yet, upon entering the drawing-room, he found Mrs St Clair had got the start of him.

No appearance of hurry or agitation was now visible, unless in her more than usually brilliant colour. Her dress was handsome, and well arranged-her air, to common observers, easy and unembarrassed, and altogether, she formed a striking contrast to her daughter, who sat by her, pale, thoughtful, and dejected, with the look of one who had almost unconsciously suffered herself to be dressed.

As Mr Lyndsay entered, he heard Mrs St Clair say to Lord Rossville, in answer to some remark of his

"I was, indeed, caught to-day-I foolishly took alarm at Gertrude's absence during that prodigious shower, and set out in search of her mySelf-but we missed each other, and have now only met by the side of your Lordship's charming fire."

Lord Rossville loved to be complimented upon his fires, which were always constructed after a model of his own, and were, of course, notoriously bad-but Mrs St Clair knew how to throw out a tub for a whale-her well-timed compliment led to a discussion upon fires, stoves, and coals, which ended in the whole company being speedily involved in the intricacies of one of the Earl's own coal-pits, from which they were only rescued by a summons to dinner.

Mr Delmour had returned, bringing a band of his second-rate political allies along with him, and the conversation consequently took its cast from them, and was as dull as political discussions always are, unless when worse than dull-violent. Mrs St Clair entered into all that was said con amore, and was consequently thought, by the greater part of the company, to be an uncommon

clever, charming, well-informed, lady-like woman. Lady Betty asked some questions as efficient as usual, and passed for a very worthy, sensible, affable old lady. Miss St Clair sat silent, and absent, and indifferent to what was going on, and was pronounced a cold, haughty, inanimate, fine lady. Such are the judgments daily passed upon as slight a knowledge of that within which passeth show-and so superficial a thing is popularity.

On quitting the dining-room, Mrs St Clair whispered her daughter to follow her to her own apartment, and no sooner were they there, than, shutting the door with violence, she seemed as if eager to indemnify herself for the constraint she had been under.

"Gertrude!” cried she, all at once giving way to her agitation;-" again you see me in your hands-again my fate hangs on your decisionagain it is yours to save or to destroy me !"

Gertrude could not speak-her heart sickened at the evil she anticipated.

"But I will not go over the same ground I have done :-I tell you, I am at your mercy, but I will neither supplicate nor command-I leave you

free-pronounce my doom, and do not fear even

my reproaches."

Gertrude's senses almost forsook her, as the dreadful idea flashed upon her, that she was to be required to save her mother's life, at the expense of becoming the wife of the dreaded Lewiston, and sinking at her feet, in wild broken accents, she besought her to spare her.

"Compose yourself, Gertrude," cried Mrs St Clair, suddenly calmed herself at sight of her daughter's still stronger emotion-"I tell you, you have nothing to fear from me-I have promised that I will not even seek to influence you; all I require of you is to hear the alternative."

“Oh, no-no-spare me that dreadful alternative-kill me-but save me from him!" and she clung to her mother's knees with convulsive energy.

"Gertrude, this is madness-it rests with yourself to rid me of that man, I trust for everCome, sit down by me, and listen,” and she seated herself at a writing-table, and placed her daughter beside her. After a pause, during which she seemed to be struggling with her feelings, she spoke