she was gone I imagined that Cuthbert would be satisfied with recommending the girls to the care of their soubrette, or sending by her or Hutton, who was equally careful of the young charges, some kind message, and so betake himself to rest

-but no-not a bit of it.

"Now, Gilbert," said he, "just do me the favour to push that little table near the sofamake me one glass of white wine negus—none of your-oh dear me! how my back aches!none of your Sangaree Sangrorum-like the West Indians-which I have heard folks talk of -ah!--and we will have a quiet bit of chat till the children come home—I cannot go to bed till I have seen Kitty-and-then-we have had no whist-ah!-Sniggs hasn't been here—no-nothing of that sort-and when Kitty tells us of all that has happened—and the-ah !—the party— she is such a capital mimic."

I did as I was desired-or, as I felt it, commanded-and then concocted a tumbler of a similar mixture for myself the fire grew dul

к 3

-the room grew cold-I could hear the ticking of the clock in the hall.

"Gilbert," said my brother, "that's a dear woman-the schoolmistress-ah!

A gentle tap at the door interrupted my

answer.

"Come in," said I.

"It's only me, Sir," said Foxcroft, my wife's maid.

"Do you want me," said I, hourly anticipating the event which was so materially to add to my respectability.

"No, Sir," said Foxcroft, "only my mistress says, as you mayn't come up stairs till late, if you would recollect that she wishes to have the carriage to-morrow about twelve.”

it."

66

Certainly," said I," I'll remember to order

And then she shut the door, and I returned to the side of Cuthbert, cut to the heart that poor Harriet, without meaning the slightest reproach, should have sent me a quiet humble message to

order her own carriage, in order to preserve it from a seizure on the part of those-I will not designate them—who were now keeping me out of my bed to await their return from a place where they had no business to be, to hear the praises of her who had had no business to leave them there.

The candles, by which Cuthbert occasionally fancied he read, were already in the socketsthe lamp was glimmering and flickering with a sort of sputtering noise, the certain avant-courier of the most unsavoury of smells-still hardly able to keep his eyes open, my poor brother went on, muttering praises of the regularity and good order of the Montpelier establishment; while I, listening with the most earnest attention for the approach of the carriage, watched almost unconsciously the fast-fading fire in the grate. I began to get exceedingly chilly—the lamp gave stronger evidence of its proposed departure, and I was driven to the necessity of lighting my bedroom candle, to escape the darkness with which we were threatened. Having done which, I des

patched the lamp somewhat upon the principle of the butcher's wife, who called to her husband to come and kill a sick sheep before it died. Twang went the clock; one-two-threefour-five-six-seven-eight-nine-ten

eleven-Twelve.

"It is twelve o'clock," said I.

"What little rakes those girls are!" said Cuthbert; "I hope they won't tire themselves -poor dears! I dare say they are dancingtheir sainted mother was very fond of reels-but -ah!-well-it is what we must all come topoor Tom!-by the way, he didn't come in to wish us good night."

"He stayed with Harriet and Fanny," said 1. "It is getting coldish," said Cuthbert; "stir the fire, Gilbert-hadn't you better ring for some coals?"

"Why," said I, obeying orders, "I suppose they cannot be much longer-midnight is late for the Rectory."

"I conclude Harriet is gone to bed," said Cuthbert, in a tone of voice which satisfied me

that he would have been more interested in the fact of his own favourite cat having been made up for the night in her well-lined basket.

And

"Oh yes," said I, " two hours since, I should think she is not by any means well." then I thought of her "Come soon, love," which seemed to ring in my ears to a popular air, which then I fancied I traced in the ticking of the clock.

"Yaah," said Cuthbert, "I'm getting sleepy myself."

"Hadn't you better go to bed?" said I. "No, no,” replied my brother, "not till I have bid Kitty good-night.'

He then relapsed into silence, and to say truth, I felt no inclination to disturb the tranquillity of the scene. A quarter after twelve-half past twelve came; at which period I was about to suggest that something extraordinary must have happened, but suddenly checked myself, when I recollected that if Cuthbert's thoughts had been directed to the possibility of an accident, he would, with the fear of Blackheath before his