in her present mind, as to Millicent's conduct, he would, at her death, receive a moiety of the sum intended for him if his marriage with Millicent had taken place.

This made a vast difference in his position. The diminution of the amount of his expected fortune by one-half,-the contingency, too, by which he was to run his military life against that of a quiet, moderate lady of regular habits and a good constitution, were serious drawbacks: he certainly loved Fanny better than any body else, except himself, and considering the fortune he was to look to, in conjunction with her charms, and hating the notion that she would very soon find out if he did not marry her, that he had been rejected by Miss Maloney, he sat down and wrote to Wells, giving his own version of his expedition, and begging to be allowed to return to his old quarters, and offering himself, such as he was, for the acceptance of his daughter.

It was in this position of affairs that Wells sought my advice and an opinion whether considering that Merman had actually retired, and gone avowedly to marry another woman, Fanny could, consistently with the dignity of her cha racter, receive him again, and consent to become his wife, because the other lady would not have him.

The point, I admit, was one of considerable delicacy, but as far as I could see, or indeed suggest, it seemed to me most particularly to rest upon Wells's objection to the change of fortune, and Fanny's feelings towards the Lieutenant: at all events, my proposition was, that if Wells was himself not hostile to the marriage for financial reasons, Fanny should be left entirely to herself, to decide according to her wishes and inclinations.

Mrs. Wells was outrageously indignant at the proposition, which she considered in the light of a downright insult, and did not hesitate to appropriate to the absent officer the epithets of "fortune-hunter," "coxcomb," and impudent fellow." Fanny, however, did not join in the cry against him, but maintained that all he did was perfectly disinterested, and that he had consented to give her up only to save her from the necessity of making sacrifices, and exposing herself to difficulties and inconveniences which she was even yet ready to encounter for the sake of her dear Philip. With great dutifulness, however, she declared her willingness to be guided entirely by her father, a proof of her obedience which I confess lost some of its merit in my eyes, from her knowing which way it was most probable the rector would decide, when there was a prospect of marrying off a daughter.

CHAPTER X.

THINGS were thus proceeding, when, having forewarned poor or Harriet of the dangerous state of Tom Falwasser's health, I anxiously awaited the arrival of intelligence from Sniggs. With the morning came worse accounts of the boy, and by the post came the following letter from his eldest sister:

"Montpelier, Bath.

"DEAR UNCLE.-Pappy is most anxious to hear about Tom, and wondered why you did not write; but when I told him you did not know where to direct to him, he was quite satisfied: pray let him hear about my brother. Pappy has got the pretty cottage Mrs. Brandy ball talked of next to our school, and seems very happy. Mrs. Brandyball is very attentive and kind to him, and very good to us; indeed, neither Jane nor I do any thing but what we please. We are mostly in at the cottage, for Pappy likes us to be as much with him as we can. Pappy says that when Tom gets well he is to come to us here, and then perhaps after the Easter holidays we shall all go to some other place, for I should not be very much surprised if our governess was to give up her school. Pappy says it must be so fatiguing to her, and thinks that she would have quite enough to do to superintend the education of me and Jane.

"I hope dear aunty and the little boy are quite well, and dear Fanny and Bessy. I should be delighted to hear from the latter. Give my love, and Jane sends hers. Pappy desires to be kindly remembered, and hopes you will let him hear soon.

"Yours, dear Uncle, affectionately,
"KATE FALWASSER."

I was not in a humour to think much about myself when

I received this despatch, for my mind was fully occupied with the fate of poor Tom; but certainly, as the communication by proxy-of an affectionate brother, the self-proposed godfather of my child, his infant nephew, never was any thing less satisfactory. To have expected Cuthbert to exert himself to the extent of favouring me with an autograph letter might have been too much, but to find no word, no syllable from him, referring in the slightest degree either to my wife or child, or to his intentions respecting his sponsorial proposition, nor indeed any hint even tending to make me fancy that I occupied the smallest share of his attention, was beyond my anticipations. That it was painful I admit, and if I had been in a state to dwell upon it, it would have awakened a thousand feelings, which perhaps it was as well should not be called into play. It was evident that Mrs. Brandyball's influence was rapidly increasing, and the artless manner in which Kate mentioned the probability of that amiable lady's giving up the fatigue of general tuition, to devote her time and talents to the exclusive improvement of my two half-nieces, convinced me that all my worst apprehensions were eventually to be realized.

To Harriet I merely communicated the fact that I had heard from Cuthbert-for I could not venture to apprize her of the nature of his letter. She, dear soul, was so full of kindness, so feelingly alive to my interests, and had devoted herself so entirely for my sake to him, that I was sure she would feel deeply and bitterly the tone and spirit of Kate's letter. In fact, I do not think, since the day of my beloved mother's death, (a day always present to my memory,) I ever felt so perfectly miserable as on this.

With one o'clock-the hour of luncheon-came Sniggs, and his report was such as to convince me that no hope remained of saving the boy; it then struck me that I would wait until the fatal event occurred, and immediately afterwards start for Bath to break the news to Cuthbert; then I resolved upon writing, anticipating in my letter the worst which might happen. Sniggs worried me with technicalities, and the smell of the camphor with which he was highly perfumed reminded me of the danger likely to be incurred by his visit; for although the whole establishment had been rendered proof against the infection, still the baby was yet unharmed, and when I saw him deliberately sit down to help himself to cold fowl and tongue, and ask the servant for some hot potato and cold butter, my patience was severely tested.

Yet why should I have been vexed and irritated? What

was poor Tom Falwasser to him? He was his patient, and promised to be a valuable one, supposing his recovery to excite his father-in-law's gratitude-but else Tom, uninteresting as it must be confessed he was while in health, interested not my worthy friend the apothecary more than any other lout who might be put under his care for cure. Sniggs evidently enjoyed his repast, and from him I learned that Daly had actually left Blissfold; the state of mind in which he found the rector and myself, and the unceremonious manner in which we felt absolutely compelled to turn him out, had determined him no doubt to quit a place, the hospitality of which could not have appeared to him in any very favourable light. It was, however, a seasonable relief to me to be assured of his absence. All that I had to reproach myself with was, the not having taken a favourable opportunity to inquire if any pecuniary aid would be essentially serviceable to him. I consoled myself, however, upon this point with the belief that if he felt himself at any time "hard run" he would make no scruple in applying to me for assistance.

"Indeed" said Sniggs, "this is an awkward job-Master Tom's dying at my house-infectious disease-keep away patients never had such a thing happen to me before-odd circumstance-deuced unlucky.'

"It is, indeed," said I, thinking at the same time of the two bottles of cherry brandy.

"You know Dr. Fuz by sight," said Sniggs, still eating "the old man at Bassford-retired from practice now; did live here five-and-twenty years ago-comes to church sometimes—sits in the chancel opposite the rector—he had a patient in his house-did I ever tell you that, sir?"

"I think not," said I, in a tone which ought to have induced a belief that I did not particularly wish to hear it then.

6

"Deuced odd," said my friend. "Fuz was riding home one night from visiting, and was stopped by a highwayman -things now getting out of fashion. Money or your life!' said the fellow. Fuz pulled up-a man who had saved so many other lives instinctively desired to preserve his own, 'Don't abuse me, sir-you shall have all I have got.' Dark as it was, the remotest recesses of the Doctor's pockets were hunted in order to satisfy the rapacity of the robber, and twenty guineas, a ten pound note, a few shillings, and a gold watch, were delivered to the marauder, who, making the Doctor a graceful bow, wished him a good evening and went his way. Fuz-fond of money as he was, and deeply re

gretting his watch, the heir-loom of the Fuzzes-put spurs to his horse, which, as George Colman says,

was indeed a very sorry hack,

But that's of course,

For what's expected from a horse
With an apothecary on his back?'

He! he he! So away goes Fuz, as hard as he can with such cavalry-reaches home-rushes into the arms of Mrs. F., and bids her thank Providence that he is returned safe and sound, although deprived of his gold, silver, notes, watch, and ornamental appendages.

"What are ornaments, compared with your life?' exclaimed the affectionate female Fuz. I do thank Providence-think no more of the money, love-it is, as they say, only mounting twenty or thirty pair of stairs next week, and it will all return.' And after this sweet parley, they sat themselves down to supper.

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Scarcely had they entered fully into the enjoyment of the social meal, before a loud ringing at their gate aroused them from their comforts,

"I know what it is,' said Fuz; "Mrs. Rattletrap is→→→→→→ "What, I can't say," said Sniggs, "for the rest of the doctor's supposition was cut short by the entrance of one of the servants, who announced that a gentleman had been fired at by a highwayman, not a quarter of an hour before, and severely wounded. His horse, from which he had fallen, had escaped, and two labourers, who had found him lying on the ground, groaning heavily, had brought him direct to the doctor's door.

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"Up jumped the doctor, out he ran, and there, sure enough, found a gentleman bleeding, and looking exces sively pale; he had him carried into one of the parlours, and laid upon a sofa-his coat was taken off, and, upon examination, it appeared that he had received a gun-shot wound in his left arm-the ball, however, had passed clean through, marvellously escaping the heart of the sufferer, who, it was evident to the learned Fuz, was rendered senseless by the fall from his horse, rather than the effects of the hit. The doctor, who was one of the most humane of men, first bled his patient, and then, when the gentleman was sufficiently recovered to comprehend the extent of his care and hospitality, told him that he could not think of letting him stir out that night, and had, accordingly, ordered a