grees, those habits which a long residence on the continent had considerably broken through. The society of the neighbourhood was limited. The only family with whom they had lived in intimacy was that of Mrs. Shenstone, a lady of good property and old family. When the Grahams left England for the continent, Mrs. Shenstone's family party consisted of herself and two daughters. She had also a son; but this young gentleman being what is termed a "wild youth" (in other words, one who never attempted to place the slightest restraint, moral or religious, upon his passions and inclinations), had, at the age of sixteen, been sent to sea as a hopeless case. Her two daughters in the interval had been advantageously married; but the young man, after a lapse of ten years, had returned to his family much altered, and was now living with his mother, and apparently endeavouring, by the practice of every virtue, by the most dutiful and affectionate behaviour at home, and by good conduct and propriety abroad, to induce those who had known him, to forget that he had ever been the scamp, who, for his incorrigible wickedness, had been ten years before driven from his home.

With this small family the Grahams passed a great portion of their time; living at a distance of barely two miles, Mrs. Shenstone's house was a constant walk or ride of Alice's. Mrs. Graham had been very intimate with their neighbour, and her society had, perhaps, for that reason, a peculiar charm for Alice.

The attention and kindness of manner evinced by George Shenstone towards his mother, seemed to betoken so great an alteration in the character of that young man, that Alice could hardly believe him to be the same person whose misconduct she had so often heard deplored, and whose character she had understood to have been so great a source of uneasiness to - his mother. On a maturer acquaintance it was evident that a deep shade of melancholy had, for some cause or other, overspread the disposition of the young man; he scarcely ever smiled, and it seemed a painful effort to him to enter into any gaiety which might be proposed, or which in conversation should But withal, it was plain that this did not proceed from any fault of temper, or moroseness of character; he was invariably kind and gentle to every one, and his most anxious desire seemed to be-no matter by what measure of self-denial-to promote the comfort and happiness of every one around him. Alice saw all this, and began to feel in the young man a degree of interest, which, had not her heart been previously given to another, might have ripened into a warmer feeling.

occur.

With respect to George Shenstone the case was different. There existed no prepossession in his case, to prevent his being very forcibly attracted by the charms of Alice, and when their intercourse had subsisted a few weeks, there were evident signs that on his side he cherished a deep though hitherto silent

attachment for Alice. In all respects he would have been a most eligible match for her. Already in possession of his father's estate, and heir to a considerable fortune brought into the family by his mother, there was no apparent reason to prevent him from urging a suit which, in a worldly point of view, was still more desirable for Alice than himself. But months and months passed away without his approaching to anything like of a declaration. His attachment was discoverable in a thousand ways, impossible to be described; but he seemed to stand in a sort of awe of Alice, and when accidentally they were left together, there was, in his deportment towards her, a hanging back, as though there were some insurmountable obstacle against his ever being more to her than he was at present. For some time Alice attributed this to the discouragement she, of course, gave to any advances on his part; but as their acquaintance and intimacy increased, she thought she discerned that there was some other feeling mixed up with this one

that her discouragement of him was taken as a matter of course, and that their existed in his mind some hidden motive for the peculiarity of his conduct towards her. The invariable sadness which possessed him excited both her compassion and interest in a high degree, and she was at a loss to conceive the cause of this so unusual degree of melancholy-in one too, whose character she was told had once been so different; who, ten years before, had left his home gay,

reckless, unprincipled, and, in short, the very reverse of what he now appeared. Had he experienced some great misfortune? Did some secret sorrow prey upon his mind? In the hope that by kindness and consolation she might be enabled to alleviate his sorrows, she determined, if possible, to induce him to unburthen his mind to her.

But aware as she was of the state of his feelings towards her, it was imperative that he should be apprized how she was circumstanced with regard to her engagement, in order that no advances on her part to induce him to disclose his secret, should be considered by him as any encouragement, or even sanction of the address he appeared disposed to pay her. The most feasible manner of acquainting George with what she wished him to know, was through the medium of his mother. She, simple soul! had never suspected or seen any attachment in her son to Alice, and was too much gratified with the change wrought in his character, to trouble herself much about his "fits of absence," as she used to call them.

"George is not in very good spirits to-day," she would say to Alice, and then propose a little snapdragon to enliven him, or invite five or six of the country neighbours to dinner, hinting to them, before the young man, that they must make themselves, if possible, more than usually agreeable, (i. e. talk yet more of cross roads, parish grievances, and poaching delinquencies) "as a certain person who should be

nameless (with a wink) was a little afflicted with the green devils on that day, and to them alone she trusted for dispelling these troublesome, though pretty-coloured intruders." (It was a peculiarity of phrase with Mrs. Shenstone, that those beings, which by others are generally designated blue devils, were by her invariably termed green, for what reason is not easy to say.)

It was a very easy matter for Alice to take an opportunity of telling Mrs. Shenstone the history of her engagement; and knowing the good lady never concealed aught from her son, but, on the contrary, treasured up every little anecdote and every piece of scandal she heard, to amuse him with at the breakfast or dinner-table Alice, felt secure that the next time she saw George, he would be no stranger to the state of the case, and that any attempt she might make to gain his confidence, would not be liable to misconstruction on his part.

She was not wrong. The next morning Mrs. Shenstone, delighted at having so interesting a piece of intelligence to relate, thus began:

66

George, I have a piece of news for you."

Have you indeed, what is it mother?"

"Oh, I assure you it is quite interesting, and I do not think you would ever guess it. Will you try?" "I had rather you would tell it me, mother, if you have no objection. What is it?"