Then of a sudden she dropped on a bench, and the hot tears came gushing out of her eyes.

Oh, Harry, you grieve me so. Do for your own sake, for my sake, at once dissolve your connection with these men. If not, you will break your mother's heart."

'My father and mother seem to have got on very well without me for a long time, so I do not suppose any proceedings on my part will affect them much."

"But you do not consider us; you are looked upon as one of us. Papa I know loves you as if you were his son; and think of his feelings when he, the thorough Conservative English country gentleman, hears that his nephew, of whom he was so proud, is associated with a band of midnight conspirators. Oh, Harry, Harry, do, I pray you, consider what I say."

I looked at the poor girl as she sobbed out her appeal, and I felt touched to the heart. I felt that happen what might, I could not tear myself away from the society of my cousin. I now began to perceive, for the first time, that whatever influence the lovely countenance of my French friend could have obtained over me, it was not to be compared with that exercised by the artless Fanny. I saw how thoroughly she was imbued with what I considered old fashioned ideas, and what a struggle she had between them and her regard for me. Was it more than regard? And I attempted to analyse my own feelings with respect to my old playfellow. It was in vain that I tried to keep up the cold argument. Fanny was weeping. She the lively, merry-hearted girl, who had looked forward with such glee to her trip, was now evidently plunged in deep grief, and I was the

cause.

"Fan, dearest Fan, for heaven's sake compose yourself,” said I, “and I promise you that I will do my best endeavour to wean myself from the society of the men-on one condition. Do you think that your love for Cousin Harry is sufficient to enable you to give him a favourable answer when he asks you to share his future fortunes ?"

"Oh Harry!" was at first the only answer. Then suddenly brushing away her tears, she rose, and in a firm tone of voice answered my question.

"Only give up this unlucky youthful folly of yours, Harry, and if Papa casts no objection in the way, when the time comes that you can claim me as your wife, I—Harry, dear Harry, I would lay down my life to save you from trouble."

She made a violent effort, and spoke again in forced calm_tone—“ We are both too young yet to speak of such subjects; but if you continue in the same mind, and do as I wish you, ask me when the time comes, and I Please take me back to mamma-I feel faint."

am yours.

It was with great difficulty I could regain sufficient composure to walk back again to the lawn. The heat formed a sufficient cause for the headache of which Fanny complained, and good Mrs. Grenfell bustled off with her daughter to their lodgings, whilst, sick at heart, and unable to mix in the gay crowd that surrounded me, I went back to my rooms, vowing that Fanny's warning should be attended to. I mused deeply over the transactions of the day. I remembered how in my boyhood Fan and myself had always taken each other's part-how she had been the recipient of all my little secrets, always excepting the one I felt bound not to reveal-how her preference for me had even excited the jealousy of her brother; and, I exclaimed as I rose from my seat

"By heavens! I will follow the dear girl's advice. She has saved and now I know why her image was so constantly in my thoughts. Fe her sake, good bye to Mr. Ribaud. I will write to Madame de Langea She can get me clear." And with a joyful anticipation of the future, rejoined my uncle in the garden. I did not then know the force d circumstances.

CHAPTER VI.

THE rest of the week passed off amid the usual never-ceasing round of amusements. Mr. and Mrs. Grenfell were fairly knocked up, and even Beatrice confessed that three balls a night for four months was almost toe much. Fanny did not take her usual interest in what was going on, but the elasticity of her youthful disposition, and a renewed promise on my part to use my best endeavours to change my ideas, brought her back to her habitually high spirits. One thing she insisted on which astonished her father. She positively refused to go abroad that summer, saying she wanted to see the Lakes of Killarney, and insisted on my accompanying the family thither.

The Squire gave way in this as he did in most things to his pet child, and I returned to town with the party. I need not relate how we did the lakes, how we ate salmon at Glena, climbed Mangerton, awoke the echoes of the Eagle's Nest, and wondered at the delicious beauty of the scenery.

Our tour then took us through Galway, and after a short stay in Dublin, the Grenfells went back to Dorsetshire. I returned to my lodgings in town with the intention of reading hard, as the next year I had to take my degree. One evening, as I was puzzling out a chorus in Aristophanes, the servant knocked, and informed me that a gentleman wanted to speak to me. I bade her show him in and he walked upstairs. The man was a perfect stranger to me, and from his dress-a tail coat, and black waistcoat and trousers, and a certain uneasiness in his manner, I put him down as a small tradesman. What was my horror when, after seeing close the door, he gave me one of the signs I had learnt in Paris.

"Who are you, and what do you want?" I exclaimed, a dread coming over me that I was once more entangled.

"My name, sir, is Peter Porklington, and I have come to invite you to attend this evening a meeting of British workmen to draw up a petition for the charter we require."

"I will do nothing of the kind," was my reply," you see how busily I am engaged."

"Ah, my dear sir, said the emissary, “pray reconsider your decision. We want you especially as you are said to be most eager in favour of pacific demonstrations, and we have with us many hot heads who would plunge us into mischief."

Most certainly I object to any violent measures," I answered. "What I have seen in my boyhood, and what I apprehend will happen. makes me shudder. Tell me frankly what is your purpose this! evening ?"

I was rapidly falling into my old ideas. The thought that I might possess influence enough to prevent any rash explosion on the part of an ignorant assembly touched my vanity, and made me blind to the fact

that I was deliberately breaking the promise given to Fanny. I mused for some time without giving any answer to Mr. Porklington. "After all," I thought, "I am going on an errand of mercy. I can tell these men the traditions I have heard in Paris of the horrors of the Revolution. I can shew to them how their passions, once indulged in, will defeat their own ends; and this our meeting over, should my endeavours fail, I will break off all ties with the Revolutionary Committee."

Mr. Porklington saw my hesitation, and urged all the arguments he could string together, to induce me to attend the meeting, and I must do him the justice to say that he found out my weakest point, and artfully flattered my vanity. He drew an alluring picture of the effect produced by the presence of one who, even at a tender age, had distinguished himself in the cause of Liberty, and of the advantage which would accrue to the peaceful portion of the society, by my urging the necessity of slow but persevering endeavours to obtain by negociation what would be difficult to acquire by force. In short he, a greasy, ungrammatical tradesman, taking advantage of my vanity, wound himself round me, and persuadsd me against all my good inclinations and resolves.

"When is the meeting, Mr. Porklington?" I asked.

The small grey eyes twinkled, and a half hidden smile of satisfaction came over the face of the emissary, as he answered my question.

"We have half an hour to spare and no more."

"Very well, then, I shall be ready in five minutes."

I went to my bed-room, and in order to be ready against all contingencies, took the precaution of slipping a small American pistol into my coat pocket. We drank one glass of wine, and then set forth. The walk reminded me forcibly of the one I had taken with de Maurigny, and I wondered what had become of him,-of young Lautour,-of the boisterous Arnaud. Then came over me the old horror I used to experience at any thought connected with the fatal shot in the Rue Dix Sous, and again I mentally swore that unless in actual self-defence 1 would never raise a weapon against a fellow creature. We walked to the place of meeting-a dirty house in one of the grimy back streets of Lambeth. The majority of the assembly consisted of men called by the orators who addressed them, " the hardy sons of labour." Among them were many of the same class as Porklington, and I was thoroughly disgusted on seeing that I was the only gentleman present. The pride of race revolted at the association with such "canaille," and had it not been for my determination to instil principles of peace into the minds of the meeting, I would have left the house at once. As it was, I stayed and listened for about an hour to some of the vilest trash it has ever been my lot to hear. The speakers all agreed in one thing-they denounced the Queen, the House, and the Government; but they proposed no plan, till one man arose and unfolded the purpose of the meeting. We were all to sign a monster petition, embodying our grievances, and present it to the House of Commons. In case of refusal, we were to be ready to support our cause with arms. In due course I rose, and, while deprecating all attempts at violence, I still supported my old theory of Republicanism. As I warmed with my subject, I declaimed myself against the institutions of the country, and though I did not absolutely advocate the dethronement of the Sovereign, I hinted that

VOL. 1.-No. 12.

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the acceptance of our petition would be the first move towards est lishing a republic. As I was approaching the conclusion of my spee: I was suddenly struck by seeing in a corner the face of Mr. Dashwoo with three other young men-Dashwood with a smile on his cour nance, which showed me that he understood my position thorough and was prepared to take advantage of it. I hurriedly brought speech to a close, and feigning sudden indisposition, withdrew from ti house, having previously ascertained that it was supposed the four ge tlemen were there out of mere curiosity. I took the first Hansom saw, and drove home in a state of mind far from enviable. Hurried c by the excitement of the moment, I had so far forgotten my promito Fanny and my position as a gentleman, as to take part with me. whose companionship was a disgrace to me. I had gone against my ow ideas and wishes by urging my hearers to acts which might invol hundreds in ruin and destruction; and, above all, I felt that by doing I had alienated the love of Fanny. The last thought I could no. bear. It obtruded itself upon me till I felt I was nearly going ma and unable to support the weary solitude of my room, I snatched u my hat and rushed into the street, hoping to meet some friends wh might help me to dispel the gloom which hung over me. I easil obtained my object. At one of the supper rooms in the Haymarket, 1. came upon a party of Oxford men, all engaged in the laudable desire to get drunk in the shortest space of time. I will say no more about the events of that evening. Suffice it to say, that I was soon reduced to a helpless state of intoxication-the only reminiscence remaining to me in the morning being a dim remembrance of meeting Mr. Dashwood, and having a quarrel with him. My thoughts the next morning were anything but pleasant. I felt that I had in every way made a fool of; myself, and I knew not what next step to take. I took the cowardly course. I waited to see what the result would be. I did not then know as a rule men can command results-that these merely proceed from actions, and to a far seeing man can almost be reduced to a syllogism, in which the conclusion must follow from the premises. 1 trusted to the two most fallacious deities that humanity has ever believed in-Hope and Chance. I was miserably deceived.

Four days after the Lambeth meeting, the post brought in two letters. I knew the writers well, and looked at them without having the courage to break the seals. At last I summoned up resolution, and tore open Fanny's letter. It was the first I had received from her since our engagement, and sad as my thoughts had been for some time previous, the gloom on me became darker and darker as I read my sentence in the lines traced by her dear hand.

Harry, oh Harry "-thus ran the letter "you have broken my heart. You have forgotten your promise to me; and you, our cousin, have been seen in the company of low minded rebels, and afterwards disgraced yourself and us by your conduct four days ago. Do, for heaven's sake, write and tell me that what papa has heard is not true, or I don't know what will become of me. If you have done what you are accused of, come to us at once. You will be forgiven by papa, and you will feel that your Fanny's pardon for your excesses must bind you to her for ever. P. S. I don't believe a word of it."

The letter contained an enclosure. compose myself sufficiently to open it.

It was some time before I could
I, who from my long absence

om my family had had hardly any tokens of love shown to me since I as a child, now found that I had an object in the world; that whatver might happen, I had, to take my part, a fond dear girl, who, aving filled the cup of love to the brim, would run any risks to preent its being dashed from her lips; and I also saw that my future appiness was now in the balance. Not a moment was to be lost. I ould start at once for Grenfell Park, implore Fanny's forgiveness, and enounce at any risk the course I had entered. In this mood I opened y uncle's letter.

"Sir,--I received this morning the enclosed. If you can disprove it t will make no alterations in my sentiments towards you, but, if true, hen I must never see your face again. I can hardly believe that a ephew of mine could be found a traitor to his Queen and country; out if you cannot deny the facts alleged against you, I will, in consideration of your relationship, consent to withholding the informaion given me, until such time as may be sufficient for you to leave the ountry. If you are guilty, never come near me, or my servants shall urn you out of my grounds.

"R. GRENFELL.”

The enclosure was merely a statement that it was requested that Mr. Grenfell would ask Mr. Cancellor as to his doings on the night of the 16th September, and informing him that the gentleman in question was at a Chartist meeting, and was afterwards seen in the custody of the police for drunkenness. Not one word of the imputation could I deny; and as the angry blood flowed fiercely to my cheek, I decided that none but Dashwood could have been guilty of this base treachery. My very words were repeated, and I remembered that I had seen a memorandum book in his hand. My mind was soon made up. Mr. Grenfell's letter prevented me from following Fanny's instructions. Dashwood had ruined my prospects; revenge was now my only course. The only question was how it could be brought about. I went straight to the address Porklington had given me, a grocer's shop in Holborn. Peter was behind the counter, weighing out sanded sugar with composure, and when at liberty I asked him plainly whether he knew where was de la Ribaudiere.

"If in London, he is in the house in West Court, Leicester Square."

I muttered my thanks, and drove off thither, cursing my stupidity at not having gone there first. To my delight Ribaud was at home, and on seeing me greeted me with a cordial smile.

"Ah! mon jeune ami, once more we see you. Well, your English proverb says 'better late than never.' Can I do anything for you? You look pale; what is the matter?"

"Mr. Ribaud," I answered, "I have discovered a traitor,"-he started-" and I wish to punish him."

"Perfectly correct, Mr. Cancellor; and who is the individual ?"

"I know not who the guilty party actually is who introduced the traitor to our meeting, but a Mr. Dashwood has revealed what passed on the 16th in Lambeth, and I know that information will be lodged against me."

Sacré tonnerre!" muttered Ribaud, "That is what I intend doing."

66

we must prevent this."