straining in the direction pointed out, but, like sister Anne, could see nothing to the purpose.

"I suspect you are looking rather too high; nearer the base, and allow your eye to run along by the point of my cane-there, you must have got it now."

There are, perhaps, few every-day situations more tormenting to a delicate mind, than that of being called upon to see what you cannot see -you must either disappoint the views of the view-pointer, or you must sacrifice your conscience, (as it is much to be feared too many do,) by pretending that you have at last hit the mark, whether it be a puff of smoke, indicative of a town, a white cloud of the ocean, or a black speck of an island.

"Ah! I think I discover something now," cried Mrs. St. Clair, quite at a loss to guess whether the white mote in question was a church steeple, or a ship's mast, or any other wonderful object of the same nature, which generous longsighted people will always make a point of sharing with their less gifted friends.

"And you think the effect good?" "Admirable-inimitable !"

"Why, the situation was my own choice; there was a committee appointed to make choice of the most favourable site, and they fortunately fell in with my views on the subject, and, indeed, paid me the compliment of consulting my feelings on the occasion;-a public monument, I conceive, ought, undoubtedly, to be placed in a conspicuous and elevated situation; but more especially when that situation happens to be in the very grounds of not only the original proposer and principal heritor in the county, but likewise the personal friend of the illustrious dead to whom this tribute is decreed-for, I am proud to say, our renowned patriot, the great Lord Pensionwell, was (with the excellent Lord Dunderhead) the associate of my youthful years--the friend of my maturer age."

Happy the country," said Mrs. St. Clair, now driven almost to frenzy," whose nobles are thus gifted with the power of reflecting kindred excellence, and perpetuating national virtue, on the broad basis of private friendship."

Mrs. St. Clair knew she was talking nonsense, but she also knew who she was talking to, and was sure it would pass. Lord Rossville, to be sure, was a little puzzled, but he saw it was meant as a compliment, and contained a fine sounding sentiment, and it was therefore well received. Fortunately, the rain now began to fall, and every object being completely shrouded in mist, his Lordship was obliged to give in; but he comforted himself, and thought he comforted his companions, by promising to return, when the weather was more propitious, to repeat and complete their enjoyment.

CHAPTER VII.

"Most musical, most melancholy!" MILTON.

DINNER passed heavily, for, although its arrangements were faultless, there was a want of that ease which is the essence of good cheer. The evening entertainment was still worse, for Lord Rossville piqued himself upon his musical talents, and Miss St. Clair, whose taste and execution were both of a superior order, was doomed to the tortures of his Lordship's accompaniment. His false chords-his overstrained cadences-his palsied shakes-his tones half and whole, grated upon her ear, and she felt that music and melody were sometimes very different things. He affected to despise all music, except that of the great composers, and chose for the subject of his execution, Beethoven's "Synfonia Pastorale."-"Here," said he, as he placed it before his niece and himself, "observe, the great point is to have your mind duly impressed with the ideas these grand and characteristic movements are designed to express. Here, we have, in the first place, The Prospect ;'-we must, of course, infer, that it is a fine or pleasing prospect, such, for example, as we viewed to-day, that the great composer intended to represent--let your movements therefore be graceful and aërial— light and shade, hill and dale, wood and water; -then follows 'The Rivulet,'-that, I need scarcely inform you, must be expressed by a gentle, murmuring, liquid, trickling measure. Next we have the 'Village Dance,' brisk, gay, and exhilarating-rustic, but not vulgar. As a powerful contrast to these simple scenes now burst upon us 'The Storm,' awful, sublime, overpowering as the conflict of the elements,-howling winds, descending torrents, hail, thunder, lightning, all must be conveyed here, or the mighty master's aim is rendered abortive. To sooth the mind after this awful explosion of genius, we wind up the whole with the 'Shepherd's Song,' breathing the soft accents of peace and pastoral innocence—and now da capo."

Miss St. Clair might well shudder at the prospect before her, and her tortures were exquisite, when she found her ear, taste, feeling, science, all placed under the despotic sway of his Lord. ship's bow and foot; but, at length, her sufferings were ended by the sound of supper. "Ha!" exclaimed he, starting up, "it seems we take no note of time here." This was a favourite jeu de mot of the Earl's, and, indeed, it was suspected that he sometimes allowed himself to be surprised for the pleasure of repeating it.

Supper was nearly over, when the trampling of horses, barking of dogs, ringing of bells, and all the usual clamour which attends the arrival of a person of distinction, caused a sensation in the company, Lady Betty asked what that was, while she took her favourite on her lap, and

covered it with her pocket-handkerchief, from beneath which, however, issued, ever and anon, a low asthmatic growl.

"It is Colonel Delmour, my Lady," answered the pompous maître d'hotel, who had despatched a messenger to inquire.

"It is an extraordinary and somewhat improper time of night, I think

But his Lordship's remarks were stopped by the entrance of the party in question. Merely touching his uncle's hand as he passed him, and scarcely noticing Lady Betty, Colonel Delmour advanced to Mrs. and Miss St. Clair, and paid his compliments to them with all the graceful high-bred ease of a man of fashion; then calling for a chair, he seated himself by his cousin, seemingly regardless of one having been placed by Lord Rossville's orders on the other side of the table. Colonel Delmour was strikingly handsome, both in face and form, and he possessed the high hereditary air of fashion and freedom which bore the impress of nobility and distinction. There might, perhaps, be something of hauteur in his lofty bearing; but it was so qualified by the sportive gayety of his manners, that it seemed nothing more than that elegant and graceful sense of his own superiority, to which, even without arrogance, he could not be insensible. He talked much, and well, and in that general way, which allowed every one to take a part in the conversation without suffering any one, not even the Earl, to monopolize it. Altogether, his presence was like sunshine upon frost-work, and an air of ease and gayety succeeded to the dulness and constraint which had hitherto prevailed. Lady Betty had three times asked, "What brought you here at this time of night?" before Colonel Delmour answered; at last, he said—

"Two very powerful motives, though scarcely fit to be named together-the first was my eagerness to do homage here," bowing gracefully to Miss St. Clair; "the other was to avoid the honour of driving Miss Pratt."

"I thought Mr. Lyndsay was to have returned with you," said the Earl.

"I offered him a seat in my curricle, which he wanted to transfer to Miss Pratt, but I could not possibly agree to that arrangement, so he remains like a preux chevalier to escort her in a hackneychaise, and also, I believe, to attend a Bible meeting, or a charity sermon, or something of that sort. It is more, I suspect, as a paymaster than a protector, that his services are required, as he discovered it would cost her, I can't tell how many shillings and sixpences; and though I would willingly have paid her expenses, yet, really, to endure her company for a nine mile tête-à-tête was more than my philosophy dreamt of."

Much depends on the manner in which things are said as to the impression they convey to the unreflecting mind. Colonel Delmour's voice and

accent were uncommonly pleasing, and he had an air of gay good humour, that gave to his words rather the semblance of airy levity, than of selfishness or ill-nature. Even when he carelessly sketched on the table-cloth a caricature of Mr. Lyndsay with a large Bible under his arm, handing Miss Pratt, with a huge bandbox in hers, into a hackney-chaise, Gertrude could not resist a smile at their expense.

"Miss Pratt coming here to morrow!" exclaimed the Earl in a tone expressive of any thing but pleasure; "that is somewhat an unexpected" -and his Lordship made an effort as if to bolt some word too hard for utterance. Then addressing Mrs. St. Clair, though with a very disturbed look, “As, in all probability, Madam, that lady's visit is designed out of compliment to you and your daughter, it is necessary, previous to her arrival, that you should be aware of the degree of relationship subsisting between Miss Pratt and the members of this family."

Lord Rossville's air, looks, manner, hems, all portended a story; it was but too evident that breath was collecting and reminiscences arranging for the purpose, and the pause that ensued was prophetic, not, alas! of its end, but of its beginning. But Colonel Delmour seemed quite aware of the danger that was impending, and just as his uncle had opened his mouth with "Miss Pratt's great-grandfather". he interposed.

"I beg pardon, but I cannot think of devolving the task of being Miss Pratt's chronicle upon you; as I was guilty of introducing her to the company, mine be the punishment of becoming her biographer." Then with a rapidity which left the Earl with his mouth open, and Miss Pratt's great-grandfather still vibrating on his tongue, he went on

"Miss Pratt, then, by means of great-grandfathers and great-grandmothers, (who, par parenthése, may commonly be classed under the head of great bores,) is, somehow or other, cousin to all families of distinction, in general, throughout Scotland, but to this one, from its local advantages, in particular. I cannot pretend to show forth the various modifications of which cousinship is susceptible, first, second, and third degrees, as far as numbers and degrees can go. And, indeed, I have already committed a great error in my outset, by having introduced Miss Pratt by herself Miss Pratt, when I ought to have presented her as Miss Pratt and Anthony Whyte In fact, as Whittington without his cat would be nobody in the nursery, so neither would Miss Pratt be recognized in the world without Anthony Whyte. Not that there exists the same reciprocal attachment, or unity of fortune, between the aunt and the nephew which distinguished the master and his cat; for Anthony Whyte is rich, and Miss Pratt is poor;-Anthony Whyte lives in a castle, Miss Pratt in a cottage ;-Anthony Whyte has horses and hounds, Miss Pratt has clogs and

pattens. There is something so uninteresting, if not unpromising, in the name, that"-addressing himself to Miss St. Clair-" you, at present, will scarcely care whether it belongs to a man or a cat, and will be ready to exclaim, 'What's in a name?' but do not expect long to enjoy this happy state of indifference-by dint of hearing it repeated day after day, hour after hour, minute after minute, upon every possible and impossible occasion, it will at length take such hold of your imagination, that you will see the mystic letters which compose the name of Anthony Whyte wherever you turn your eyes-you will be ready to 'hollow out his name to the reverberate rocks, and teach the babbling gossips of the air to cry out'-Anthony Whyte !"

"What's all that nonsense?" asked Lady Betty.

"I have been rather prosy upon Miss Pratt and her adjunct-that's all," answered Colonel Delmour slightly; "and must have something to put away the sound of Anthony Whyte"and he hummed a few notes-"Do, Miss St. Clair, join me in expelling those hideous names I have invoked for your gratification-you sing, I am

sure."

But Gertrude was afraid to comply, for no one seconded the request. Lord Rossville, indeed, looked evidently much displeased; but it was no less manifest that his nephew neither thought nor cared for any body's feelings but such as he was solicitous to please; and, before the party broke up, he had contrived to make a very favourable impression on the only person present whose favour he was anxious to obtain.

CHAPTER VIII.

"Her tongue runs round like a wheel, one spoke after another; there is no end of it. You would wonder at her matter to hear her talk, and would admire her talk when you hear her matter. All the wonder is, whilst she speaks only thrums, how she makes so many different ends hang together."

RICHARD FLECKNO, 1658.

MANY visiters arrived the two following days from various quarters, though all from similar mouves, viz. to see the young heiress and her plebeian mother. But amongst all the varieties of life, how few can even serve "to point a moral or adorn a tale."

The most distinguished of those individuals were Lady Millbank and her daughters, who drove up in all the bustle and parade of a ba rouche and four, splendidly emblazoned, with drivers and riders in the full pomp of blazing liveries, and, in short, the usual eclat of an equipage which at once denotes wealth and grandeur. The ladies were in the same style with their outward bearings, tall, showy, dashing per

sonages, with scornful looks and supercilious manners. They surveyed Miss St. Clair from head to foot with a bold stare; and, after making some trifling remarks to her, turned their whole artillery against Colonel Delmour, who received their addresses with a sort of careless familiarity, very different from the refined attentions he displayed towards his cousin.

"Good heavens !" exclaimed one of the ladies, who had stationed herself at a window, "Do look at this, Colonel Delmour!"

And at the piercing exclamation, the whole party hastened to ascertain the cause. The phenomenon appeared to be a hackney-chaise of the meanest description, which was displacing the splendid barouche, to the manifest mirth of the insolent menials who stood lounging at the door.

"Who can that be, I wonder?" asked Lady Betty.

Mrs. St. Clair turned pale with terror lest it should be any of her bourgeois relations forcing their way.

"I conclude it must be our cousin Miss Pratt," said the Earl, in some agitation, to Lady Millbank; and while he spoke, a female head and hand were to be seen shaking and waving to the driver with eager gesticulation.

"And Mr. Lyndsay, I vow!" exclaimed Miss Jemima Mildmay, throwing herself into a theatrical attitude of astonishment.

The hack-chaise, with its stiff rusty horses, had now got close to the door, and the broken jingling steps being lowered, out stepped a young man, who was immediately saluted with shouts of laughter from the party at the window. He looked up and smiled, but seemed nowise disconcerted, as he stood patiently waiting for his companion to emerge.

"I hope they are to perform quarantine,” said Colonel Delmour.

"I vote for their being sent to Coventry," said Miss Augusta.

"I prepare to stand upon the defensive," said Miss Maria, as she seized her smelling-bottle from off the table.

At length, Miss Pratt appeared, shaking the straw from her feet, and having alighted, it was expected that her next movement would be to enter the house; but they knew little of Miss Pratt, who thought all was done when she had reached her destination. Much yet remained to be done, which she would not trust either to her companion or the servants. She had, in the first place, to speak in a very sharp manner to the driver, on the condition of his chaise and horses, and to throw out hints of having him severely punished, inasmuch as one of his windows would not let down, and she had almost sprained her wrist in attempting it-and another would not pull up, though the wind was going through her head like a spear; besides having

taken two hours and a quarter to bring them nine miles, and her watch was held up in a triumphant manner in proof of her assertion. She next made it a point to see with her own eyes every article pertaining to her (and they were not a few) taken out of the chaise, and to give with her own voice innumerable directions as to the carrying, stowing, and placing of her bags, boxes, and bundles. All these matters being settled, Miss Pratt then accepted the arm of her companion, and was now fairly on her way to the drawingroom. But people who make use of their eyes have often much to see even between two doors, and in her progress from the hall door to the drawing-room door, Miss Pratt met with much to attract her attention. True, all the objects were perfectly familiar to her, but a real looker, like a great genius, is never at a loss for subject-❘ things are either better or worse since they saw them last-or if the things themselves should happen to be the same, they have seen other things either better or worse, and can, therefore, either improve or disprove them. Miss Pratt's head then turned from side to side a thousand times as she went along, and a thousand observations and criticisms about stair carpets, patent lamps, hall chairs, slab tables, &c. &c. &c. passed through her crowded brain. At length Miss Pratt and Mr. Lyndsay were announced, and thereupon entered Miss Pratt in a quick paddling manner, as if in all haste to greet her friends.

"How do you do, my Lord? no bilious attacks I hope of late?-Lady Betty as stout as ever I see, and my old friend Flora as fat as a collared eel.--Lady Millbank I'm perfectly ashamed to see you in any house but your own; but every thing must give way to the first visit, you know, especially amongst kinsfolk," taking Mrs. St. Clair by the hand, without waiting for the ceremony of an introduction.

While this and much more in the same strain was passing with Miss Pratt at one end of the room, Mr. Lyndsay had joined the younger part of the company at the other, and been introduced by Colonel Delmour to Miss St. Clair. There was nothing so striking in his appearance as to arrest the careless eye, or to call forth instant admiration; yet his figure, though not much above the middle size, was elegant, his head and features were finely formed, and altogether he had that sort of classical tournure, which, although not conspicuous, is uncommon, and that air of calm repose which indicates a mind of an elevated cast. Still, seen beside Colonel Delmour, Mr. Lyndsay might have been overlooked. He had nothing of that brilliancy of address which distinguished his cousin ; but he had what is still more rare, that perfect simplicity of manner which borrows nothing from imitation; and as some one has well remarked, few peculiarities are more striking than a total absence of all affectation.

Scarcely allowing time for the introduction, Miss Millbank began in a tone intended to be very sympathetic.

"How dreadfully you must have been bored to-day with la pauvre Pratt! Good heavens ! how could you inflict such a penance upon yourself? Did you not find her most shockingly annoying and dreadfully tiresome ?"

Annoying and tiresome to a certain degree, as every body must be who asks idle questions," answered Mr. Lyndsay, with a smile, which, though very sweet, was not without a meaning. The rebuff, if it was intended for such, was, however, lost upon his fair assailant.

"O heavens! what a shocking idea!" exclaimed the three Miss Millbanks in a breath. "What's the shocking idea, my dears?" demanded Miss Pratt, as she pattered into the midst of the group. "I'm sure there's no shocking realities here, for I never saw a prettier circle," darting her eyes all around, while she familiarly patted Miss St. Clair, and drawing her arm within hers, as she stood by the window, seemed resolved to appropriate her entirely to herself. Gertrude's attention was no less excited by Miss Pratt, who had to her all the charms of novelty, for though there are many Miss Pratts in the world, it had never been her fortune to meet with one till now.

Miss Pratt then appeared to her to be a person from whom nothing could be hid. Her eyes were not by any means fine eyes-they were not reflecting eyes-they were not soft eyes-they were not sparkling eyes-they were not melting eyesthey were not penetrating eyes ;-neither were they restless eyes, nor rolling eyes, nor squinting eyes, nor prominent eyes-but they were active, brisk, busy, vigilant, immoveable eyes, that looked as if they could not be surprised by any thingnot even by sleep. They never looked angry, or joyous, or perturbed, or melancholy or heavy; but morning, noon, and night, they shone the same, and conveyed the same impression to the beholder, viz. that they were eyes that had a look -not like the look of Sterne's monk, beyond this world-but a look into all things on the face of this world. Her other features had nothing remarkable in them, but the ears might evidently be classed under the same head with the eyesthey were something resembling rabbits--long, prominent, restless, vibrating ears, for ever listening, and never shut by the powers of thought. Her voice had the tone and inflexions of one accustomed to make frequent sharp interrogatories. She had rather a neat compact figure, and the tout ensemble of her person and dress was that of

smartness. Such, though not quite so strongly defined, was the sort of impression Miss Pratt generally made upon the beholder. Having darted two or three of her sharpest glances at Miss St. Clair

"Do you know I'm really puzzled, my dear, to make out who it is you are so like-for you're neither a Rossville nor a Black-and, by the bye, have you seen your uncle, Mr. Alexander Black, yet? What a fine family he has got. I heard you were quite smitten with Miss Lilly Black at the Circuit ball t'other night, Colonel DelmourBut you're not so ill to please as Anthony Whyte —That was really a good thing Lord Punmedown said to him that night. Looking at the two Miss Blacks, says he to Anthony, with a shake of his head- —Ah, Anthony,' says he, 'I'm afraid two Blacks will never make a White!' ha ha! ha! --Lord Rossville, did you hear that? At the Circuit ball Lord Punmedown said to Anthony Whyte, pointing to the two Miss Blacks-'I fear,' say's he, 'two Blacks will never make a White.?-'No, my Lord,' says Anthony, 'for you know there's no turning a Blackamoor white!' ha! ha! ha! A very fair answer,' says my Lord, Lady Millbank, did you hear of Lord Punmedown's attack upon Mr. Whyte at the ball--the two Miss Blacks

"I black-ball a repetition of that bon mot," said Colonel Delmour.

"You will really be taken for a magpie if you are so black and white," said Miss Millbank.

"Pon my word, that's not at all amiss-I must let Anthony Whyte hear that-But bless me, Lady Millbank, you're not going away already ?—wo'nt you stay and take some luncheon ?—I can answer for the soups here-I really think, my Lord, you rival the Whyte Hall soups;" but disregarding Miss Pratt's pressing invitation, Lady Millbank and her train took leave, and scarcely were they gone when luncheon was announced.

"Come, my dear," resumed the tormentor, holding Gertrude's arm within hers, "let you and I keep together-I want to get better acquainted with you-but I wish I could find a likeness for you"-looking round upon the family portraits as they entered the eating-room.

66 They must look higher who would find a similitude for Miss St. Clair," said Colonel Del

mour.

Miss Pratt glanced at the painted ceiling representing a band of very fat, full-blown rosy Hours. "Ah ha! do your hear that, my Lord? Colonel Delmour says there's nothing on earth to compare to Miss St. Clair, and that we must look for her likeness in the regions above. Well, goddess or not, let me recommend a bit of this nice cold lamb to you very sweet and tender it is-and I assure you I'm one of those who think a leg of lamb looks as well on a table as in a meadow:"-then dropping her knife and fork with a start of joy-"Bless me, what was I thinking of?-that was really very

well said of you, Colonel--but I've got it nowa most wonderful resemblance! See who'll be the next to find it out?"

All present looked at each other, and then at the pictures.

Lord Rossville, who had been vainly watching for an opening, now took advantage of it, and with one of his long suppressed sonorous hems, bespoke him as follows:

"Although I have not given much of my time or attention to the study of physiognomy, as I do not conceive it is one likely to be productive of beneficial results to society; yet I do not hesitate to admit the reality of those analogies of feature which may be, and undoubtedly are, distinctly traced through successive generations-the family mouth, for example," pointing to a long-chinned pinky-eyed female, with a pursed up mouth, hanging aloft, as pourtrayed in that most exemplary woman, the Lady Janet St. Clair, has its prototype in that of my niece," turning to Gertrude; "while, in the more manly formed nose of Robert first Earl of Rossville, an accurate physiognomist might discern the root, as it

66

"My dear Lord Rossville!" exclaimed Miss Pratt, throwing herself back in her chair, "I hope you're not going to say Miss St. Clair has the nose of Red Roby, as he was called-root, indeed!--a pretty compliment! If it was a root, it must have been a beet root-as Anthony Whyte says, it's a nose like the handle of a pump-well -and as for Lady Janet's mouth-he says it's neither more nor less than a slit in a poor's-box."

"Mr. Anthony Whyte takes most improper liberties with the family of St. Clair, if he presumes to make use of such unwarrantable, such unjustifiable-I may add, such ungentlemanlyexpressions towards any of its members," said Lord Rossville, speaking faster in the heat of his indignation; "and it is mortifying to reflect, that any one allied to this family should ever have so far forgot what was due to it as to form such coarse, and vulgar, and derogatory comparisons." "One of them is rather a flattering comparison," ," said Mr. Lyndsay; "I am afraid there are few mouths can be represented as emblems of charity."

"Very well said, Mr. Edward," said Miss Pratt, nowise disconcerted at the downset she had received; "shall I send you this nice rib in return?-Lord Rossville, let me recommend the rhubarb tart to you-Miss Diana, my dear-I beg your pardon, Miss St. Clair, but I'll really never be able to call you any thing but Diana-for such a likeness!-What have you all been thinking of, not to have found out that Miss St. Clair is the very picture of the Diana in the Yellow Turret ?" Lord Rossville, in a tone of surprise and displeasure, repeated,

"The Diana in the Yellow Turret! impossible !"