Gertrude?-you will trust yourself with me, and I will place you in safety."

"Oh, he is my father-my own father!" cried Gertrude in an accent of despair.

"Surely-surely!" exclaimed Lewiston hastily"I am the husband of her mother-her own father -you say true-I am-I am.”

"No-no-no-,” cried Gertrude, wildly-" she is not my mother-she told me all-he is my father," and she almost shrieked as she uttered it.

"She is mad," cried Lewiston,-"I say she is mad."

"'Tis you have made her so, then," said Lyndsay, passionately, then turning to Gertrude-" Dearest Gertrude, try to compose yourself-retire-I

will

"O, he is he is my father!" repeated Gertrude, convulsively.

"Confound you for an idiot, as you are!" cried Lewiston, fiercely, and he seemed ready to strike her, had not Lyndsay stood between them.

"Save me-Oh, save me from him!" cried Gertrude, as she clung to Lyndsay's arm-" but he is"

"I will, dearest Gertrude, do not be afraid " then turning to Lewiston, he said, in a voice of forced calmness, but with an air of the most resolute determination-" You are mistaken, if you suppose, that, as the husband of Mrs. St. Clair, you have acquired any lawful authority over this lady.--If you claim it by any other tie, you must first bring forward your evidence, and have it recognized, before it can be acknowledged--in the meantime, Lady Rossville is under my protection--I am her guardian, and from her own lips only will I listen to what has passed--You will do well, then, to leave this room without altercation, otherwise, it may be unpleasant for you."

"Oh! no-no," cried Gertrude, in an agony of. terror--" he is my father, do not use him ill."

"Don't you hear her acknowledge my authority?" cried Lewiston; 66 and what title have you, then, to interfere, you confounded meddling blockhead ?"

"Gertrude, will you go into the next room for a few minutes?" said Lyndsay, and he would have led her to the door.

"Aye, do--go along," cried Lewiston; "women are always better out of the way when there's business on hand.”

"I will not leave you," said Gertrude, as pale and trembling she still held by Lyndsay.

"But I order you to

99

"Speak but another syllable to this lady," interrupted Lyndsay, on the point of losing all self-command," and I will instantly call the servants to force you from her presence."

"Coward!" cried Lewiston, furiously.

The blood rushed to Lyndsay's brow.

"Edward, dear Edward!" cried Gertrude, "do not--he is my father."

"I know you only as Lady Rossville, and as such I will speak to you alone," said Lyndsay. He rang the bell, and when the servant answered it, desired him, in a calm but firm manner, to show that gentleman to the library, then waving his hand to Lewiston, in a way that showed he would be obeyed, he said, "I will join you there in half an hour;” and Lewiston, casting a threatening look at Gertrude, and muttering imprecations to himself, was thus com pelled to withdraw.

CHAPTER XLVII.

He whose mind

Is virtuous, is alone of noble kind;

Though poor in fortune, of celestial race;

And he commits the crime who calls him base.

DRYDEN.

BUT it was with difficulty Gertrude could be brought to repeat to Lyndsay all that she had already recapitulated to Delmour. She had then been under an excitement of mind, to which every thing had given way--she had felt as though she were then about to cast the die for life or death, and, in the energy of desperation, she had told all with the eloquence of feelings which mocked control. But here there was no such stimulus, and she shrank from repeating the hateful and ignominious detail of her disgrace. It was throwing herself too much upon the sympathy and the commiseration of one on whom she had no claim--one whom, in the hey-day of her prosperity, she had treated with coldness and ingratitude--and she leaned her burning brow on her head, and strove to steel herself against the kind and affectionate entreaties Lyndsay used to gain her confidence. At length, he gathered from her such particulars, as enabled him to trace out the whole of the dark transaction which had involved her in ruin. For a time his emotion kept him silent, while Gertrude sat with her elbows resting on a table, and her face buried in her hands. But Lyndsay was ever more intent on allaying the afflictions of others, than in indulging his own feelings; and he soon mastered his own agitation, that he might be the better able to calm Gertrude's--but his voice faltered as he spoke. "Dearest Gertrude," said he, "I know it will be

in vain to talk of comfort to you in the first anguish of your mind-but-ah! Gertrude, could you discern the hand that has thus smitten you-could you

up to Heaven, and say, it is my Father's will.". "I do," cried Gertrude, in a low suffocating voice. But, alas! the feeling burnt feebly in her breast.—— "And any thing but this I could have borne-but disgrace-infamy-" her emotion choked her ut

terance.

"No, Gertrude, you are unjust to yourself-unmindful of God—if you attach such ideas of personal degradation to what has befallen you-'Tis true you have no longer a title—a vain empty title-or wealth to spend perhaps to satiety-but how much nobler a being are you now, thus dignified by voluntary self-abasement, and rich in all the native gifts of your Creator, than ever you were, or would have been, as the mere favoured child of this world?— Ah! Gertrude-dear Gertrude, could you but view yourself with my eyes!"

"To have been an impostor-an usurper!" exclaimed she.

"How perverse sorrow has made you, Gertrude ! --You are neither---you have been the victim of imposture---but your own name is pure and spotless--it is more---to those who can appreciate virtue it will carry a nobler sound along with it than any that heraldry could have bestowed---How poor is the boast of ancestry, compared with that lofty sense of honour, which has made you trample under foot all those allurements, to which your soul still cleaves even in renouncing !---This is greatness!"

"Who but you will judge me thus?"

"All who love virtue---all who love you, Gertrude―"

"Love me!" repeated she, relapsing into an agony of grief---" Oh! who could love me---base---vile--abject as I am?"

Gertrude !" cried Lyndsay, in emotion almost VOL. II.-C c

equal to her own---" do you, indeed, ask who could love you?"

But Gertrude was silent, for her thoughts were all of Delmour. Lyndsay's agitation increased.

"You ask me who could love you, Gertrude? he who has once loved you truly will love you still--will love you more than ever---I— he stopped, then took two or three turns about the room in great disorder, while Gertrude, absorbed in grief, and thinking only of his words, as applied to her lover, was little aware of what was passing in Lyndsay's generous heart. In a few minutes he regained his usual calmness, and approaching her, took her hand and said--

"Gertrude, you are unable to stand this storm which has come upon you---you must retire to your own apartment, and allow me to act for you---I promise you that nothing shall provoke me to violence--I promise you that I will bear every thing."

"Oh! you have borne too much already for me," cried Gertrude with a burst of weeping." My best -my only friend," added she in a voice choked with emotion.

"You will then look upon me as your friend-as your guardian-as your brother-will you not, Gertrude?--such and all will I be to you, so help me God!"

Gertrude could not speak, but she pressed the hand which still held her's, in grateful acknowledgment, and relying on Lyndsay's promise, as she knew she well might, she, at last, consented that he should see her father alone, and that she should await the result of the conference.

After seeing her mind somewhat strengthened, and her spirits more composed, Lyndsay then repaired to the library, where he found Lewiston vainly attempting to hide his rage, by affecting to busy himself in coolly turning over the books, while it was evident he was only exercising his fury upon them. He took no notice of Lyndsay's entrance, but went on tossing over the leaves of a splendid folio, in a manner