before you go. She's somewhere about the house -in her boudoir, I dare say. She's not quite well this morning-a fit of the vapours-hem! You

understand me, doctor?" putting his finger to the side of his nose, with a wise air. I could not help smiling at the reciprocal anxiety for each other's health simultaneously manifested by this worthy couple.

"Well, doctor, am not I right?" exclaimed Mrs. in a low tone, opening the dining-room door, and beckoning me in.

"Yes, indeed, madam. My interview was little else than a running commentary on your note to me."

"How did you find him engaged, doctor?-Learning his speech, as he calls it-eh?" inquired the lady with a chagrined air, which was heightened when I recounted what had passed up-stairs.

"Oh, absurd! monstrous! doctor, I am ready to expire with vexation to see Mr.. acting so foolishly. But it is all owing to that odious Dr. —, the village rector, who is up in town now, and an immense crony of Mr.'s. I suspected there was something brewing between them; for they have been laying their wise heads together for a week past. Did not he repeat the speech to you, doctor?the whole of it?"

"Yes, indeed, madam, he did," I replied, smiling at the recollection.

"Ah-hideous rant it was, I dare say!-I'll tell you a secret, doctor. I know it was every word composed by that abominable old addle-head, Dr.

a noodle that he is!-(I wonder what brought him up from his parish!)-And it is he that has inflamed Mr. -'s fancy with making a great hit in the House, as they call it. That precious piece of stuff which they call a speech, poor Mr. has been learning for this week past; and has several times woke me in the night with ranting snatches of it." I begged Mrs. not to take it so seriously.

"Now, tell me candidly, Dr., did you ever hear such nonsense in your life? It is all that country parson's small-beer trash! I'm sure our name will run the gauntlet of all the papers in England, for a fortnight to come!" I said, I was sorry to be compelled to acquiesce in the truth of what she was saying.

"Really," she continued, pressing her hand to her forehead, "I feel quite poorly myself, with agitation at the thought of to-night's farce. Did you attempt to dissuade him? You might have frightened him with a hint or two about his tendency to apoplexy, you know."

"I did my utmost, madam, I assure you; and certainly startled him not a little. But, alas! he rallied, and good-humouredly sent me from the room, telling me, that if the effort of speaking killed him he should share the fate of Lord Chatham, or something of that sort."

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"Preposterous!" exclaimed Mrs. almost shedding tears with vexation. But, entre nous, doctor, could you not think of any thing-hem!something in the medical way-to prevent his going to the House to-night ?-A-a sleeping draught-eh, doctor?"

Really, my dear madam," said I, seriously, "I should not feel justified in going so far as that."

"Oh, dear, dear doctor, what possible harm can there be in it? Do consent to my wishes for once, and I shall be eternally obliged to you. Do order a simple sleeping draught-strong enough to keep him in bed till five or six o'clock in the morning-and I will myself slip it into his wine at dinner."-In short, there was no resisting the importunities and distress of so fine a woman as Mrs. ; so I ordered about five-and-thirty drops of laudanum, in a little sirup and water. But, alas! this scheme was frustrated by Mr. -'s, two hours afterward, unexpectedly ordering the carriage (while Mrs. was her

self gone to procure his quietus, and leaving word he should dine with some members that evening at Brookes's. After all, however, a lucky accident accomplished Mrs. 's wishes, though it deprived her husband of that opportunity of wearing the laurels of parliamentary eloquence; for the ministry, finding the measure against which Mr. had intended to level his oration to be extremely unpopular, and anticipating that they should be dead beat, wisely postponed it sine die.

Duelling.*

I had been invited by young Lord the nobleman mentioned in my former chapter, to spend the latter part of my last college vacation with his lordship at his shooting-box in -shire. As his destined profession was the army, he had already a tolerably numerous retinue of military friends, several of whom were engaged to join us on our arrival at

; so that we anticipated a very gay and jovial season. Our expectations were not disappointed. What with fishing, shooting, and riding abroadbilliards, songs, and high feeding at home-our days and nights glided as merrily away as fun and frolic would make them. One of the many schemes of amusement devised by our party was giving a sort of military subscription ball at the small town of from which we were distant not more than four or five miles. All my Lord -'s party, of course, were to be there, as well as several others of his friends scattered at a little distance from him in the country. On the appointed day all went off admirably. The little town of absolutely reeled beneath the unusual excitement of music, dancing, and universal fêting. It was, in short, a sort of minia

* The melancholy facts on which the ensuing narrative is founded, I find entered in the Diary as far back as nearly twenty-five years ago; and I am convinced, after some little inquiry, that there is no one now living whose feelings could be shocked at reading it.

ture carnival, which the inhabitants, for several reasons, but more especially the melancholy one I am going to mention, have not yet forgotten. It is not very wonderful that all the rustic beauty of the place was there. Many a village belle was there, in truth, panting and fluttering with delighted agitation at the unusual attentions of their handsome and agreeable partners; for there was not a young military member of our party but merited the epithets. As for myself, being cursed, as I once before hinted, with a very insignificant person, and not the most attractive or communicative manners, being utterly incapable of pouring that soft, delicious nonsense, that fascinating, searching small-talk, which has stolen so often right through a lady's ear into the very centre of her heart,-being no hand, I say, at this, I contented myself with dancing a set or two with a young woman whom nobody else seemed inclined to lead out; and continued for the rest of the evening more a spectator than a partaker of the gayeties of the scene. There was one girl there-the daughter of a reputable, retired tradesman-of singular beauty, and known in the neighbourhood by the name of "The Blue Bell of Of course she was the object of universal admiration, and literally besieged the whole evening with applications for the "honour of her hand." I do not exaggerate, when I say that, in my opinion, this young woman was perfectly beautiful. Her complexion was of dazzling purity and transparence; her symmetrical features of a placid bustlike character, which, however, would perhaps have been considered insipid had it not been for a brilliant pair of large, languishing, soft blue eyes, resembling

-"blue water-lilies, when the breeze

Maketh the crystal waters round them tremble,”

which it was almost madness to look upon. And then her light auburn hair, which hung in loose and easy curls, and settled on each cheek like a soft

golden cloud flitting past the moon! Her figure was in keeping with her countenance-slender, graceful, and delicate-with a most exquisitely turned foot and ankle. I have spent so many words about her description, because I have never since seen any woman that I thought equalled her, and because her beauty was the cause of what I am about to relate. She riveted the attention of all our party except my young host, Lord ―, who adhered all the evening to a sweet creature he had selected on first entering the room. I observed, however, one of our party, a dashing young captain in the Guards, highly connected, and of handsome and prepossessing person and manners, and a gentleman of nearly equal personal pretensions, who had been invited from Hall, his father's

seat, to exceed every one present in their attentions to sweet Mary ; and as she occasionally smiled on one or the other of the rivals, I saw the countenance of either alternately clouded with displeasure. Captain was soliciting her hand for the last set --a country dance-when his rival (whom for distinction's sake I shall call Trevor, though that, of course, is very far from his real name), stepping up to her, seized her hand, and said, in rather a sharp and quick tone, "Captain she has promised me the last set; I beg, therefore, you will resign her. I am right, Miss ?" he inquired of the girl, who blushingly replied, "I think I did promise Mr. Trevor, but I would dance with both if I could. Captain, you are not angry with me, are you?" she smiled, appealingly.

"Certainly not, madam," he replied, with a peculiar emphasis; and after directing an eye which kindled like a star to his more successful rival, retired haughtily a few paces, and soon afterward left the room. A strong conviction seized me that even this small and trifling incident would be attended with mischief between those two haughty and undisciplined spirits; for I occasionally saw Mr. Trevor turn a moment