whole tranfaction, and concluded by defiring her never to mention the leaft circumftance of it to any other perfon.

The next morning, we have before feen, that Mr. Ormfby was fummoned to the prefence of Lord Hubert. As he entered the chamber Lady Hubert quitted it. After a little preparatory converfation, Lord Hubert peremptorily infifted on the marriage being folemnized within the week, or that he should confider all connec tions between them broken for ever.

Ormsby replied, that as he at present felt no fentiments for Mifs Pedigree, beyond thofe of a common acquaintance, he muft excufe him for faying, that he could not think of marrying her till he found his heart more fenfible of her attractions. Lord Hubert, who had been wrought on by his lady, gave way to the fpleen, with which the had infpired him. He bestowed on Ormsby a copious share of virulent language, very little of which he condefcended to anfwer. At length he told him, that if he despised his friendship, he should feel his enmity.

Unable to comprehend the meaning of so strange a menace, Ormsby quitted him, and went in purfuit of the Baronet, whom he found in the library. It was an unfortunate moment, for he was calculating all the advantages which would arise from the completion of his favourite project. When the tale his fon related struck, as with a magic talisman, his air-built fabric to the ground-he, poor old man, trembled with difappointment and vexation. "George," said he, “ your strange diflike to Selima Pedigree will bring difgrace and ruin upon my latter days." "Know, fir," cried George, in tones of aftonishment, "I do not understand you!" "I have ever been," replied Sir James, "unwilling to diftrefs you, by relating that which you could not remedy. When the title of Dewberry was folicited for your deceased brother, it run me into many unavoidable expences, and I was before that much embar

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raffed in my pecuniary affairs, Lord Hubert generoufly affifted me with a loan of ten thoufand pounds. The marriage in queftion was then agreed on, and the money was to continue as part of Mifs Pedigree's portion. The great partiality which Lord Hubert has ever entertained for you, led him cheerfully to enter into any project likely to enfure fuccefs to our future views. Our hopes are blighted, his pride is wounded; I have every thing to fear from his enmity, for though a warm friend, I know he is, when offended, an implacable enemy. He will, moft likely, inftantly demand the payment of his bond. If he thould rigidly exact it, it will plunge me into difficulties that I fhall never furmount." "Dear, fir," cried George, we can retrench our expences and retire to a cheaper habitation." "What!" cried Sir James, in extreme per turbation, "leave the abode of my youth, the mansion of my forefathers, where every object reminds me of the antiquity of my race, of the hofpitality of my anceftors, and become a wanderer, a vagabond, an exile from my hereditary home." "Oh heaven! forbid," cried George, "that any act of mine fhould ever make you fo, I would do any thing in nature to fave you from difappointment, but wed a woman whom I cannot love.'

The Baronet did not anfwer, and his fon, overcome by contrariety of emotions, ruthed into the garden, where, we have before feen he met the interesting Catharine. Mr. Selby faw his friend from a window, and conjecturing that fome explanation had taken place between the Baronet and his fon, which had equally dif treffed both; he gladly obeyed a fummons which he received from the former, and attended him in the library, where, after an hours converfation, he had the pleasure to leave him more reconciled to his disappointment.

The Pedigrees, in the mean time, departed without any explanation, and fearce deigned to return the common courtefies of good breeding to Sir James, who

attended

attended them to their carriage. At dinner, Sir James feemed to breathe in another atmosphere; all the late reftraint which had fo vifibly appeared in his behaviour to Catharine, was entirely vanished, and he treated her with the fame good humoured familiarity as on her firft vifit to the manor. After the cloth was removed, Catharine again ftrolled into the garden to take, as the there imagined, a long, long farewell of her favourite walks. The ruftic temple was not forgotten; but fcarcely had the entered it, before Ormby again appeared. "Will you forgive me, Mifs Selby," faid he, for again intruding on your folitude!" "I did not come to continue any time here," faid Catharine, "but merely to take a farewell view of this charming scene." "A farewell view!" replied Ormsby, "And do you, indeed, leave us to-morrow?" "Moft affuredly," was the reply, after a pause of a moment, in which Ormsby feemed irrefolute in what manner to proceed. He refumed the converfation which Mr. Selby had interrupted in the morning; after enumerating thofe circumstances with which our readers are already acquainted, he concluded by obferving, "The hurry of fpirits which you this morning witneffed, proceeded from the anxiety for my father's peace-the bare idea of reducing him to diftrefs, is horribly afflictive; yet I cannot make conceffions to people I defpife, or unite my fate to a woman whofe principles I abhor." He paufed."Never," cried Catharine, "did I know, till now, the value of wealth.-Would to heaven I poffeffed the power, how willingly would I exert it to free your father from fuch diftreffing embarrassments."

Certain it was, that Ormfby had not then intended to explain to Catharine the fentiments with which the had infpired him; but there was juft then fuch a sweet foftnefs in the voice and manner of Catharine, as induced him, without referve, to open his whole heart to the mistress that prefided over it! Catharine was fuperior to the light trifling which characterises too many Kk 3

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her fex on fimilar occafions. To be the free, the honoured choice of fuch a heart as Ormfby's, raised her higher in her own eftimation than fhe had ever stood before; her fentiments of him were not fuch as the need conceal, nor did the attempt to do it.

When preffed by him to allow an intercourfe by letters, the replied, "that if he would gain Sir James's confent, and that of her brother." Ormfby fhook his head. "Time," faid Catharine," may work miracles; do not let us give our friends reafon to complain of our conduct towards them-the practice of diffimulation would not add to your fecurity or my repofe." Ormsby looked grave and difappointed." "Be fatisfied," continued Catharine, "with an affurance, that I will tenderly cherish the heart you have given me; honoured by your choice, rich in your affections, I fhall indulge the fond hope that time, aided by the energies of your own mind, will enable you to furmount all the difficulties that at prefent furround you; and truft me the sweet beams of ferenity_will yet gild the evening of your father's days!""Dear confoling, but too prudent Catharine," cried Ormfby, "your fweetnefs, your candour, your tenderness, bind me to you by ties fo firm, fo indiffoluble, that nothing but death can ever difunite; but promife me, Catharine," cried he, "earneftly, folemnly promife me, that you will one day be mine." "Many things may intervene," replied Catharine, to prevent the completion of fuch a promise-but this I most readily aver, that I will never be another's." At her request they then returned to the house, the evening paffed ferenely pleafant, and the next morning they fet out for Clayfield, where they arrived without accident or delay.

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In the meantime Lord Hubert Pedigree took the neceffary fteps for the recovery of his bond. Happily Ormsby found fewer difficulties than he had expected in arranging his father's affairs, who left it entirely to his management. When the matter became public, a gen

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tleman in the neighbourhood, who highly valued the character of Ornby, generously enabled him to clear himfelf from the obligations he lay under to the Pedigrees. The deluded Selima fhortly after eloped from the protecting roof of her fond mistaken parents, with a young adventurer, thrown, it was faid, purposely in her way, by the wretch who had first lured her from the path of peace. When Sir James heard of this tranfaction, he congratulated his fon on his fortunate escape from a union with fo unprincipled a woman. "I think I fee the magnet to which your heart points," cried he, go to your amiable Catharine, and tell her I am a convert to a principle I have long thought that I could never adopt. It is this-that VIRTUE is the trueft patent of NOBILITY,"

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It is needlefs to fay, that George Ormfby gladly availed himself of the Baronet's permiffion to vifit his lovely friend. He travelled poft to Clayfield, nor left the cottage till he had prevailed on Mr. Selby and Catharine to return with him to the manor, where Sir James received them with unfeigned pleafure and affection. In his prefence, they foon after received the nuptial benediction. Mr. Selby, at the earnest request of Sir James, left his cottage and became again an inmate at the manor. Mr. and Mrs. Ormsby were a bleffing to their family, the delight of their friends, and a bright example of conjugal felicity to all that came within the fphere of their attraction. They fcattered, with liberal hands, the bleffings of benevolence round the habitations of virtuous indigence; they fhunned the haunts of diffipation, avoided the dwellings of luxury, and reared their felicity on the firm bafis of rectitude and self-esteem. Their well-ordered home was the nabitation of repofe-the voice of difcord never difturbed their ferenity; in fhort, they flourished long in tender blifs, and reared a numerous offspring, lovely like themfelves, and good, "THE GRACE OF ALL THE COUNTRY ROUND."

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