to understand, your friend?" he said in a peculiar tone.

Eliza felt what O'Neale's manner was intended to convey, and blushed to her very brow. O'Neale replied, "Certainly, sir. You may readily suppose

am something more than a mere acquaintance." They were now surrounded by the party.

"Miss Massenburg," said O'Neale aloud, you will introduce me."

But Eliza, confused and bewildered, was resolutely silent, determined that she would not present him, whatever might be the consequence; yet she felt as if she could sink into the earth with embarrassment.

Ah, Eliza," said O'Neale, "take courage. I am sorry I came so unexpectedly upon you; but, believe me, it was only to have the pleasure of surprising you."

O'Neale had nearly gone beyond his mark, for Eliza was on the point of ex

I

elaiming aloud against him. She perhaps would have done so, had not Mr. Roderick, in reply to O'Neale, said in a tone that could not be misunderstood, "If Miss Massenburg would assure me, that the pleasure was not mutual, I think I should be under the necessity of begging to offer some arguments to prevent the same thing happening another time."

"I should have been ready to have heard and answered them," replied O'Neale; and Eliza saw that she must either suffer on, or endanger the life of a fellow being.

"But you are better I hope," said O'Neale, bending towards her with the same lover-like air.

Oh, I dare say Miss Massenburg will be better presently," said Miss Pilling; "let us leave her to her friend to conduct her in, and I dare say she will soon revive."

"Miss Massenburg," said Mr. Roderick, "let me conduct you."

"I believe, sir," said Mr. O'Neale, "that my claims are prior to yours." "Oh, come away, Mr. Graham," said Miss Pilling; "you really are not wanted now, any more than you were when Miss Massenburg dismissed you before. Accompany us."

At this moment the Earl of Anlaby approached. He had been riding with some of his visitors, and had but just "A thousand good mornings, to you all, ladies fair. Have you been seeking Love among the roses?"

returned.

"Yes; and Miss Massenburg has found him too," replied Miss Pilling, glancing with irony at O'Neale, in inviduous comparison.

"She may have found Love, but I am afraid she has lost her own roses," replied the Earl. "Miss Massenburg, he

is a little thief, beware of him."

"Oh, she has only exchanged the red for the white, because they better emblem purity of mind."

O'Neale plucked from a neighbouring tree a full blown white rose, and presented it to Miss Pilling. "Let me

entreat you to wear an outward and visible sign."

She took it, but it was only to scatter its leaves in the air; and she paid him with a look.

"Has every rose that blooms a thorn?" asked O'Neale, who equal to Miss Pilling in ill nature, was superior to her in his ability of expressing it; "or has the last bee that sucked honey left its sting?"

"Odious!" exclaimed Miss Pilling ; but whether meaning the rose or O'Neale we leave to commentators.

'Come, follow, follow, me,

Ye fairy elves that be,'

Said the Earl gaily, as he took Miss Pilling's hand and conducted her to the

house, plainly seeing that some diversion

was necessary.

O'Neale had not released Eliza's arm, and they now followed the noble Lord together. "Mr. O'Neale," said Eliza, in a low voice, and almost entreatingly, you will not surely enter."

"You shall see what I will do; you shall see what I dare do. If you cannot love me, you shall fear me."

And then O'Neale began to talk to her with a studious air of devoted tenderness, and in that modulation of voice which is never used but for one purpose; indifferent as to how Eliza received his professions, but taking care to make himself observed by the rest, and occasionally uttering a few disjointed words, on purpose that they might hear, and imagine more. Love, despair, cruel uncertainty, beautiful, slow-wearing time, happy remembrances, sustained by hope, were all garbled together, so that by the time they had traversed two paths, every