tre of her beauty. Wife and companion of her excellency had held a levée for the a man of higher mark in politics than even queen.

It was impossible, as it would have been unfair, to institute comparison between her and the younger girl. Yet excellence of any real kind creates around itself an atmosphere of light, in which all other excellence shows gemlike, whilst every coarser or defective thing is seen for what it is, dulling the ray which falls, or refracting it distorted.

in society, she had but added loftier dignity Brought up among such types of womanto the exquisite grace which always had dis-hood as his own mother, Lady Cransdale, tinguished her. and her daughter Constance, it was little wonder that Ned, when he first went to Chatterham, should have felt strong distaste for the character of a garrison-belle. The word, though somewhat indefinite, is perhaps sufficiently expressive. Bombay society, and such sparse experiences as occasional visits from his remoter district to more European "stations" had afforded him in India, had certainly done nothing towards lessening the original distaste. Few men would have been quicker to detect a trace of the obnoxious characteristics; none would have been more instantaneously disenchanted by the detection. Major Grant's business brought him in contact with almost every officer in Malta, and chary as he and his wife might be of vulgarizing introductions to their daughter, it was impossible, short of secluding her, to prevent her from having a wide circle of military acquaintances.

Now, Amy Grant, even side by side with Lady Royston, still seemed attractive, ladylike, and full of graceful animation. She

sat at dinner between Ned and Max Gervinus, he having Lady Royston on his other hand. Max had a gift of conversation, possessing not only the erudition of a scientific German, but the German poetic temperament as well. His was good talk, fullbodied, well-flavored, and of rich hue, as wine of some choice vintage in the fatherland. The party was small and the table oval. There was not that tying of talk to couples, which, perhaps, under these peculiar circumstances, Ned might not have thought as irksome as do most times the condemned to dinner customs. Both he and Amy had to take their part in the conversation of Max and Lady Royston. When Amy spoke it was with spirit and intelligence.

Another ordeal remained for her that evening, which Ned himself might better be trusted to watch with jealous keenness. A whole batch of young officers came in, as if

Ned watched-without misgiving, it is true, yet with appreciative observation-not only how the lady of his thoughts received her soldier friends, but in what tone and with what carriage they ventured to address her. He exulted, not unpardonably, at perceiving that scarcely did their stately hostess command more genuine deference than his winsome Amy. Here was indeed a token, to the coldest prudence, of her true loveworthiness-a token, doubtless, too, to Ned, that his own choice was meritorious and his intuition deep.

THE KING OF GIPSIES ON THE KING OF | the king return the visit at Abbotsford, "just NOVELISTS. The coronation was performed on his own land (the common), with his face to the east, the wise man pouring the anointing oil and wine on his head. It seems a fur robe is the correct thing on these occasions, but none being forthcoming, and a piece of fur, however small, being considered indispensable, the skin of a hare killed for the occasiou did duty in the emergency. Sir Walter Scott had the honor of assisting at one of these ceremonies, but I believe a previous one to the installation of Mr. Bligh. He was, it would appear, a frequent visitor of the king at Yetholm, and speered (asked) all about his people, and oftentimes did

doon in the valley on the other bank, and a gude place it was, and the meat and the ale were good, and Sir Walter hissel would sit by and serve me with his ain hand, and the tobacco he aye sent to me. I miss it now, and the Leddy Scott and Mistress Lockhart he minded them all well, and a braw leddy, Leddy Kutes it was, was very affable to him. A fine big man Sir Walter Scott was, much like yoursel, and an awful lee'r. He comed to me and talked about our people, but when I read it in books of his it was not what I said, but full of lees they were, is there no pulling a man up for telling lees?"-Dickens' All the Year Round.'

old half-pay officer, and a couple of healthylooking young men from the country, who were lunching hastily, and who wore flannel trousers and buff shoes with spiked soles. The waiter eyed me with placid benevolence, and returned: "Dessay not, sir! We are quiet, sir, mostly, except elections, sir, and the Wolunteers, and the Odd-"

"But this is neither a Volunteer field-day nor an Odd Fellows' festival," interrupted İ, rather impatiently. "Is it a picnic ?" The waiter took time to consider.

"Pic

From Chambers's Journal. CRICKET ON THE GOODWINS. "WHAT is the meaning of all this bustle, waiter? I never saw the town in such a commotion before." Such was the question I propounded to the sleek head-waiter of the Royal Hotel, the principal house of entertainment in Deal. I had been, for the sake of the bathing, for several days a resident at the Royal Hotel, and I was beginning to weary of the place. Deal is not very seductive to the sojourner, with its labyrinths of mean streets, its cobble-stoned pavement, nic, sir! no, sir! Coming, sir!" And off its wooden hovels, its strings of flounders went the tiresome functionary to obey the drying in the wind, and its all-pervading hests of one of the young gentlemen in flanaroma of tar. At first, there was a certain nel unmentionables. A sharp boy in a excitement in playing hide-and-seek with striped calico jacket happened to pass with myself, as it were, among the mazes of the a corkscrew and a bottle of bitter beer, I intown, in wondering whether Middle Street terrogated him as I had done his chief, and conducted to Beach Street, or Lower Street received the reply: "Cricket-match, sir! to Fore Street, or if I might safely plunge Those gents in the coffee-room play in it, into the network of lanes that surrounded sir!" Off went boy and beer. "Cricket," me, without the aid of a pocket-compass. said I to myself; "I should like to see it. These pleasures, however, were beginning Kent was the cradle of the game, and though to pall upon me, when a lively stir upon the a little shorn of her honors, she can show crowded quay attracted my attention. There good sport yet. Where is the cricket-ground, was music, or at least the outer husk or en- waiter ?" for by this time the principal atvelope of music, for I saw a number of men tendant had returned. "Ground, sir?— carrying burdens wrapped in green baize, there, sir!" and the waiter pointed to the out of which peeped here and there the glis- sea, a glimpse of which could be caught tening brass of a trombone, or the brown through the window and open door of the wood of a violoncello. There were numer-coffee-room, and which stretched away, blue ous hampers and baskets, that indicated a and broad, dotted by sails of all colors. care for the commissariat; there were flags "What do you mean?" I demanded, for fluttering gayly in the light summer breeze; I thought the grave man was jesting with there were rolls of canvas that, to a prac-me.

Match is very interesting, sir, on account of being only once a year, at a perticklar state of the tide, sir. Deep water in general, sir, where they'll be batting and bowling this afternoon."

tised eye, had very much the air of tents. "The cricketers play to-day on the GoodSeveral boats, decked out in holiday fashion win Sands, sir-the Great Goodwin, sir. with streamers and ensigns, were receiving these tents, baskets, and musicians, while others seemed to await the lagging passengers for whom these preparations were made. No wonder that I asked the waiter what so unwonted a scene might import. Even he, "The Goodwins," said I incredulously. generally the calmest of men, was slightly "Do you mean, seriously, that there is excited; he flourished his official napkin, cricket intended on the famous Goodwin instead of permitting it to droop gracefully, Sands?" That was the waiter's meaning; and his pumps creaked in a more important and the landlady, emerging from her bar, manner than usual as he passed to and fro. corroborated his assertion; adding, that it Not that the Royal Hotel derived much cus- was only at very low tides-" neap,” I think, tom from what was going on; the commer- was the word she used, but I have no concial room held its customary hardware trav- ception of its purport-that these submarine eller, its hosiery traveller, and its traveller grounds could be used for human pastimes. in the soap-line; the coffee-room was only This was the day; and a large attendance of occupied by a sunburned midshipman, an spectators being reckoned on, tents and

I had been at Deal, during my walks or rides about the coast, I had often turned my eyes, as by a kind of fascination, to the long line of white breakers that boiled along those fatal sands. I had talked to old sailors too, who were full of stories respecting the extent of the shoals, the depth of water in the channels that intersected them, the fearfully strong current-often running nine knots an hour, it was said which skirted them, and the tenacity of the quicksands; but the day before, an old resident on the coast had assured me that he knew not which was most to be dreaded, the treacherous power of the quicksand, or the fury with which the waves beat in rough weather upon a luckless vessel that had run aground, "Only last year," said the old man, "I saw from my bedroom window that a big schooner, foreign-rigged, was on the Goodwins; so I ran up on to the roof, and there I saw the waves washing over her, most awful. I went down to fetch a telescope, for to see if any of the crew were aboard, lashed to the rigging or that, and when I got back with the glass, if you'll believe me, there was nothing to be seen but the topmasts; and they went down, sinking, sinking, right before my very eyes. If ever you goes yachting, sir, keep clear of the Goodwins." And now a cricket-match was to be played on the most considerable of the shoals, and music was to resound, and the merry laughter of girls and children was to echo, where lately the waves rolled and the fish swam.

booths were to be pitched, and refreshments | choring-ground;" and a librarian has much and music provided. I could hardly believe to say on meteorology; but I paid little my ears. Cricket on the Goodwins! Since heed to the waiter's prediction. Even if "dirty weather" should come, it would scarcely affect me. I got a passage in one of the boats, and went out with a cheery, good-humored party of spectators, and was presently landed on the Great Goodwin. The huge shoal presented a smooth surface of firm sand, no bad substitute for turf, while the novelty of the scene, to myself and others, had great charms. Tents and booths were pitched, flags flaunted gallantly, corks popped in a brisk succession, and refreshments were in great demand. There were plenty of stout old Tritons, in blue cloth and oilskin hats, sweeping the horizon with their telescopes, plenty of townsmen, visitors, and country-folks, and no lack of gay bonnets and fringed parasols. The beauty and fashion of the coast mustered strongly to see the cricket on the Goodwins. The wickets were up in due time, and the cricketers, in many-colored jerseys and spotless flannels, fell to work, with a will. There was abundance of excellent play; bowler, batsman, and fielder did their best, and shouts of applause greeted every exhibition of skill, shouts of mirth every display of awkwardness, just as if the game had been played on a green meadow ashore, and not on the dreadful Goodwin, under whose sands lay the timbers of goodly ships and the bones of brave men. I was much amused, and for a time interested. But I had not the attraction which local likings and jealousies afforded to the rest, and cared little whether Hodges were bowled out by Best, caught out by Decker, or stumped by Miller. Neither did I care whether the Walmer Eleven triumphed over the Eleven of Deal, or whether the latter kept their laurels intact. To me, the interest centred in the strange arena of all this sportive prowess. It was purely a question of locality. In consequence, I withdrew from the dense crowd around the marker's tent, and strolled to the outer or seaward face of the shoal. There I lay down on the smooth slope, level as if the planes of a score of amphibious catpenters had been employed upon it, and with the water but a little below my feet, I leaned on my elbow, and lazily contemplated the match.

I resolved to be a spectator, if possible. Very possible, the waiter pronounced it. Any of the boats could take me out and bring me back with the other spectators. ""Tis an unusual hour for cricket, sir, wickets being mostly pitched at eleven o'clock or so," said the waiter; "but it all depends on the tide, sir; and time and tide, you know, sir, wait for no man. They'll have a nice afternoon, sir; but I think there's dirty weather brewing for the night. Not that that'll hurt them, though;" and the waiter took a long look at the sky, and turned away. Every one in Deal is more or less weatherwise, a haberdasher will talk to you with enthusiasm of "good, old sound an

The tide, of course, was down to a point which it seldom reaches, and the little rip

and hot emulation, not a trace of human existence remained.

ples were imitating the action of waves, as the frog mimicked the bull. At that distance from the land, the sea had lost the bad I was as completely abandoned as Philip complexion which it always brorows from Quarll or Juan Fernandez. The tents were the shore, and was of the true color-not gone, the booths had vanished, the flags had blue, of course, but a delicate green. I was been removed, there was not a vestige of the rather a connoisseur in salt water-had seen bygone contest and revelry, except a few the ultra-marine of the Mediterranean, the empty bottles tossed carelessly on the sand, cobalt of the Adriatic, the violet of the Bos- and some straw and paper strewed where phorus, the brown of the Euxine, the milky the hampers had been packed. Every man, tinge of the Baltic, and the imperial azure woman, and child had left the shoal; worse of the South Atlantic; and the sea off the still, every boat was gone. I could with difGoodwins that day had the true Channel ficulty realize my position, with all its danger green, the hue of a nereid's translucent robe. and discomfort; it seemed like a fantastic There were some large tangles of sea-weed, dream, and I could hardly believe myself red and green and black, very common awake. Yes, there were the prints of many algæ, but pretty in their own element, bob- feet in the sand, there were the holes where bing up and down as the shining water moved; and a jelly-fish that had not yet lost its lustre, and a star-fish not yet dried to a dull orange, lay stranded at my feet. These things reminded me that the cricketground was borrowed from Neptune's court, that its smooth sands were trodden in general by no feet save those of Amphitrite and her nymphs, and that tritons and mermaids would soon reclaim their haunts from us the, intruders. "Well done! a fiver, by Jove! Well hit, Hodges! Run again, run again! No; hold hard! Huzza for Walmer!" Such were the cries that startled me from my musings, ever and anon, and once there was a shout of "Lost ball," and the ball was in the sea, floating corklike, and had to be picked up by a boat. But though lookerson proverbially see most of the game, they sometimes yawn over the sight, and so did I. The day was hot, my resting-place was soft and snug, the murmur of the sea invited to repose, and Cobb's celebrated Thanet ale It was now twilight, the shadows were is particularly strong; I fell asleep. Pleas- falling like a tangible veil. For the first ant dreams, rose-tinted and bright of woof time in my life, the glimmer of the eveningwere mine, but they faded away, leaving but star was unwelcome. There it twinkled on a vague impression, and a chill came over the edge of the sky with its tremulous me as the evening breeze sprang up, and I pointed light, softly shimmering in golden awoke awoke with a start, to marvel at my lustre-Venus victrix. The wind was soughunfamiliar sleeping-place, and to ask men- ing-not sighing-over the darkling sea. tally where I was, and how I came there. I The land lay cloudy and indistinct, tinted rubbed my eyes; I gazed stupidly around, here and there by a blotch of pink or yellow as memory returned. My heart throbbed lent by the departed sun. The ripples had quickly and hurriedly, and I uttered a cry of grown into waves, small as yet, but fast indismay. Why? I was alone-alone. On creasing in size: their murmur had changed the shoal where lately there had been so to a hoarse roar, like the threatening voices much of human life, of stir, and gayety, of lion-cubs. Had the tide turned yet?

the tent-poles were planted, yonder stood the wickets, and those grooves and scoops were hollowed by the bat or scored by the ball. The game was over now, must have been over a long time. In vain I strained my eyes over the expanse of water severing me from the shore, in hopes that some lagging boat might yet be visible. Not so. The gray waves rolled on in unbroken squadrons, and not a boat could be seen. They were all gone, then, and had left me— ' to perish. Why had they not awakened me? The idea flashed upon me with all the force of a hideous conviction, that I had been unobserved, lying as I had been upon the sloping sandbank, with my head nearly on a level with the surface of the shoal. The boats, well loaded with laughing holiday-makers, loudly discussing the day's events, had no doubt pushed off and gained the shore, and not a soul had cared to ask after a stranger like myself.