took possession together of the nearest seats at hand. Gladly would Cleve have effected his escape. from the little coterie. But it was impossible. The countess entreated him to remain. And now, however amended in experience of the ways of the world by his recent noviciate in society of the highest order, inexpressible was his surprise at the mutual deportment of the two ladies, whose every word and movement had, just then, interest in his eyes. Accustomed to see the ambassadress in the familiar intimacy of domestic life, he had not supposed it possible she could assume at will an air of such consummate dignity. To the English squiress, she was not merely gracious, but affable. Not more regally condescending the deportment of the high-bred Queen of Naples towards himself!— The demeanour of Mrs Hecksworth towards the ambassadress, on the other hand, was all VOL. II. M but servile. The woman so stiff in her own circle, so haughty towards himself, was abject: in her submission to the great lady; coinciding in all her opinions, conceding to all her propositions,-watching the very inclination of her eye as an indication of her pleasure or caprice. Jervis did not pause to consider the cause of her meanness; or that Mrs Hecksworth was conciliating the good will of one of the leading personages of Naples, only to promote the pleasures and interests of her children. All he experienced was regret that the mother of Lucy should sink so low, as he felt she must be doing, in the Countess von Adlerberg. estimation of the Grateful for the kindnesses her excellency had lavished on him, whose attitude towards her had been so different, he feared she must despise his country-woman as a slavish toady. Impossible to guess!-All that was denoted in her manner was friendship for himself. Her appeals to the opinion of "ce cher Monsieur Gervais" formed her only reply to the tirades of Mrs Hecksworth;-treating him more like a friend than an acquaintance,-more like a relation than a friend. And while Helen and Julia, who sat devouring the conversation with open ears and mouths, noted the fine expression which the excitement of animated conversation imparted to his countenance, their mother secretly set him down as a personage of the highest importance. "Can you inform me," said she, rushing to Lady Clara Heathcote, the moment Madam von Adlerberg quitted the room on his arm, to take her departure, "the name of the very agreeable Englishman who is with the Austrian ambassadress this evening?" "An Englishman? Surely you know Mr Heathcote by sight? It must have been Mr Heathcote!" "No!-a much younger man than Mr Heathcote!" "Then it was the person whom Marsan and Percy Knox call L'Etoile Polaire,—a man who has written a wonderful book about Pompeii and Herculaneum, and the temples and worship of the ancients, and been elected member of all the academies and universities in Italy. He is the right hand of Bonucci and at Angelo." "A literary man, then?"—exclaimed Mrs Hecksworth, glancing at her daughters with an air of consternation-almost of disgust. "Yes, a wonderful lion at Naples,-and as popular as poor Sir William Gell." "JERVIS CLEVE!" faltered the lady of Bilston, with a crest-fallen countenance." How true it is, that on the continent one cannot be too cautious about making English acquaintance!" CHAPTER X. Que de plantes chétives et languissantes, pales et pénetrées, se sont épanouies dans ce perpétuel printemps; se sont relevées belles et vivantes, transplantées dans ce paradis !TM DE LA TOUCHE. Newton,-Euclid, fine old ghosts! Ye have left huge aches behind,— Head and heart and brain are burning. All ambitious to attain Wealth and fame,-the specious bubble, Up I climbed to Wisdom's steeps, And got a fall, boy, for my trouble. THE satisfaction with which the more liberal Lucy welcomed, on the morrow, tidings so exceeding her expectations of the prosperity of the family protégé, experienced some drawback from the misgivings inspired by his position as regarded the Austrian ambassadress. Were his honours really the fruit of his |