T was late before Mrs. Crawford and her party returned home that night: and sadly did Miss Martin, to whom late hours were a penance, rue the assumed honours that inflicted them. The dinner was long and heavy; she felt completely out of her element, and not having Margaret at hand to prompt or encourage her, her spirits grew depressed, and she was altogether very uncomfortable. People would talk to her, and try to draw her out: would ask her to sing and play, and show her a hundred civilities she did not know what to do with: and Miss Martin resolved in her secret soul that come what might, she would talk to her young lady seriously, and deliver herself from her awkward position. The carriage was half through Welfield, when the gentle duenna was woke

up from a doze by a sudden jolt, and a sharp cry, echoed by all the party.

The carriage stopped, and the footman jumping down, discovered they had run over a man. It appeared he was lying in the middle of the road, and it being now very dark, the coachman was not in fault; but Mr. C. as gentlemen, will do when they are frightened, scolded him just the same.

"For goodness' sake, sir, don't speak so loud," interrupted Ferdinand, springing down from the box, and throwing away the cigar that had cheered his cold. drive, “pray, sir, consider! you will alarm Miss Armadale."

"Oh Mr. Ferdinand!" cried Miss Martin, much relieved by his appearance, "is the poor man much

hurt?"

"Oh dear no," said he, "pray do not agitate yourself: shut up the window, or you will take cold. Thomas will see after him."

"Oh pray, Mr. Ferdinand, pray see to him yourself!" implored Miss Martin, "take him to the inn, and send for a doctor: I am afraid he is terribly hurt; do not leave him, I entreat you!"

"It is quite sufficient that you desire it—I will not leave him," said Ferdinand; "only let me beg you not to be agitated; I will see that he is properly attended to❞—and taking one of the carriage lamps he stooped over the sufferer, and was horrified by his appearance. Too surely, but for the accident, his ca

reer had closed that night: the stupor of cold and starvation had seized every muscle, and it was only by his deep groans that life was manifest.

"We cannot carry him, Thomas, it is out of the question," said Ferdinand-" knock up some of the villagers, and see if they will take him in." Thomas obeyed by a vigorous assault on the nearest door, which was Dame Bernard's, and speedily brought her son Job to their assistance. "What are they doing? what makes them so long?" cried Miss Martin, "the man will be dead before anything is done for him. Let us all get out, and take him into the carriage."

"Gently, gently, kind-hearted creature," said Mrs. Crawford, patting her admiringly on the hand, "I could not risk your life for all the accidents in the world. You need not fear, you have expressed a wish to Ferdinand, and he will fulfil it at any hazard: see, here he comes." Ferdinand presenting himself at the window, confirmed her words. "Job Bernard will take him in for to-night, and Thomas will fetch Dr. Dunn, so pray, mother, take Miss Armadale home, or the cold and agitation will be too much for her." Accordingly the carriage rolled away, much to Miss Martin's secret displeasure, who if she had had her own will, would have remained to nurse the man herself. Her companions appeared shocked, certainly, but not as she would have supposed, and seemed more anxious on her account, than on the sufferer's: which

was to her unaccountable. Comforting herself with the remembrance of Margaret's liberal nature, she was hastening to bear her the tidings, when the three brothers met them in the hall, with an expression in their faces that showed they had something unpleasant to tell. There had been an accident.

"The children!" gasped their mother, of them hurt?"

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are any

"Not one, mother," said Nelson, "not one, and they are all safe in bed: Rose might have been hurt, but for Miss Esther: the child was jumping out of the coach when the horses started, and she would have fallen on her face but Miss Esther caught her; they slipped on the snow and the young lady hurt her arm."

"Hurt her arm!" cried Miss Martin, catching hold of Nelson's coat, "and where were you, sir, that you did not prevent the accident? why was she to assist the children out, I should like to know?"

"Indeed, Miss Armadale, it was not my fault," said Nelson, goodhumouredly, "ask Alfred if it was: the fact is, her head ached so at Mr Leyden's that she begged to come away with Wilton and the little ones, much to our regret, I assure you. When we arrived some little time after, we found every body in confusion, and Uncle Sym and John quarrelling who should be her doctor."

"Yes," said John, glancing askance at his uncle, who just appeared, "and if it had not been for me, I do

believe Uncle Sym would have sawed her arm off with a penknife!"

"Well," said Uncle Sym, stroking his neckcloth with an air of much injured innocence, 66 we shall see to-morrow who was right: I had an infallible receipt for wounds and bruises: I invented and mixed it myself, so I know it is good: I have tried it on all sorts of animals; dogs, cats, all sorts in fact, and never found it fail once, and if that somewhat perverse young lady would but have let me rub it in for an hour, she would have been quite well to morrow. Now see-I say nothing, only you will see."

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you will

"Hear him!" cried John, rubbing his hands: dogs and cats to serve as precedents to a young lady! poor little soul, she was very thankful to me for taking her part, and finding her a bandage, for Wilton's cherubs were squalling, and would not be pacified at any price, and Mrs. Nisbett cried, and there was such a scene- -Esther, poor girl, behaved very well: neither screamed nor fainted, nor went into fits, as Theodosia would have done, don't look so black, my dear sister, for it is the truth; and really once she almost laughed when Uncle Sym was dancing round her with his blessed Universal Ointment, the very sight of which made me ill.”

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'I must go to her directly," said Miss Martin, seizing a candle, "where is Nisbett? which is the room ?"

"Theodosia, my love, go with Miss Armadale,"