and his family depended, he assured his lordship that it was with avidity he embraced the opportu nity of coming to an explanation, which he hoped would be as confidential on his lordship's part, as it should be on his own. There was something in the manner of Sir Paul's delivery, as well as in the matter of the speech itself, which alarmed the hereditary pride of the old peer, who drawing himself up with great dignity observed to Sir Paul, that for his son Lionel he had this to say, that want of honour was never amongst his failings; nay it was never to be charged with impunity against any member of his family, and that to prevent any im. putation of this sort from being grounded upon his son's assiduities to a certain lady, he had now sought this interview and explanation with his good friend and neighbour.

This was so kind a lift in Sir Paul's conception towards his favourite point, that he immediately exclaimed I see your lordship is not unapprised of what is too conspicuous to be overlooked by any body who is familiar in this house; but as I know your lordship is a man of the nicest honour in your own person, I should hold myself essentially bound to you, if you would prevail upon your son to adopt the like principles towards a certain lady under this roof, and caution him to desist from those assiduities, which you yourself have noticed, and which, to. confess the truth to you, I cannot be a witness to without very great uneasiness and discontent,'

Upon these words the peer started from his seat as nimbly as age would permit him, and with great firmness replied Sir Paul Testy, if this be your wish and desire, let me assure you, it shall be mine also; my son's visit in this family will never be

repeated; set your heart at rest; Lionel Mortimer will give you and your's no further disturbance.'

My lord,' answered the baronet, 'I am penetrated with the sense of your very honourable proceedings, and the warmth with which you have expressed yourself on a subject so closely interwoven with my peace of mind; you have eased my heart of its burthen, and I shall be ever most grateful to you for it,"

Sir, replied the peer, there is more than enough said on the subject; I dare say my son will survive his disappointment: I dare say he will,' said Sir Paul; I cannot doubt the success of Mr. Lionel's attentions; I have only to hope he will direct them to some other object.'

Lord Mortimer now muttered something which Sir Paul did not hear, nor p perhaps attend to, and a hasty leave. When it is explained to the reader that Miss Rachel had never, e , even in the most distant manner, hinted the situation of her heart to her brother, on the contrary had industriously concealed it from him this mal-entendu will not appear out of nature and probability. Lionel, whose little gallantries with Louisa had not gone far enough seriously to engage his heart, was sufficiently tired of his mercenary attachment to Miss Rachel; so that he patiently submitted to his dismission, and readily obeyed his father's commands by a total discontinuance of his visits to Sir Paul; To the ladies of the family this behaviour appeared altogether mysterious; Sir Paul kept the secret to himself, and watched Louisa very i narrowly when he found she took no other notice of Lionel's neglect, than by slightly remarking that she supposed he was more agreeably engaged, he began to dismiss his jealousy and regain his spirits.

1

It was far otherwise with the unhappy Rachel ; her heart was on the rack; for though she naturally suspected her brother's jealousy of being the cause of Lionel's absence, yet she could not account for his silence towards herself in any other way than by supposing that Louisa had totally drawn off his affections from her, and this was agony not to be supported; day after day passed in anxious expectation of a letter to explain this cruel neglect, but none came; all communication with the whole fa mily of lord Mortimer was at a stop; no intelligenco could be obtained from that quarter, and to all such inquiries as she ventured to try upon her brother, he answered so drily, that she could gather nothing from him in the mean time, as he became hourly better reconciled to Louisa, so he grew more and more cool to the miserable Rachel, who now too late discovered the fatal consequences of interfering between husband and wife, and heartily reproached herself for her officiousness in aggravating his jealousy.

Whilst she was tormenting herself with these reflections, and when Louisa seemed to have forgotten that ever such a person as Lionel existed, a report was circulated that he was about to be married to a certain lady of great rank and fortune, and that he had gone up with Lord Mortimer to town for that purpose. There wanted only this blow to make Rachel's agonies complete; in a state of mind little short of phrensy she betook herself to her chamber, and there shutting herself up, she gave vent to her passion in a letter fully charged with complaints and reproaches, which she committed to a trusty messenger, with strict injunctions to deliver it into Lionel's own hand, and return with his answer : this commission was faithfully performed, and the following is the answer she received in return.

MADAM,

'I am no less astonished than affected by your letter if your brother has not long since informed you with mo of his conference with my father, and the result of it, he has acted as unjustly by you as he has by my Lord Mortimer and myself: when my father waited upon Sir Paul, før the express purpose of making known to him the hopes I had the ambition to entertain of rendering myself acceptable to you upon a proposal of marriage, he received at once so short and peremptory a dismission on my behalf, that, painful as it was to my feelings, I had no part to act but silently to submit, and withdraw myself from a family, where I was so unacceptable an intruder. beb

When I confirm the truth of the report you have heard, and inform you that my marriage took place this very morning, you will pardon me if I add no more than that I have the honour to be, 'Madam, your most obedient

6 And most humble servant, LIONEL MORTIMER.'

Every hope being extinguished by the receipt of this letter, the disconsolate Rachel became henceforth, one of the most miserable of human beings : after venting a torrent of rage against her brother, she turned her back upon his house for ever, and undetermined where to fix, whilst at intervals she can scarce be said to be in possession of her senses, she is still wandering from place to place in search of that repose, which is not to be found, and wherever she goes exhibits a melancholy spectacle of disappointed envy and self-tormenting spleen.

NUMBER CXII.

WHAT good do you expect to do by your Observers?' said a certain person to me t'other day : as I knew the man to be a notorious damper, I parried his question, as I have often parried other plump questions, by answering nothing, without appearing to be mortified or offended: to say the truth, I do not well know what answer I could have given, had I been disposed to attempt it: I shall speak very ingenuously upon the subject to my candid readers, of whose indulgence I have had too many proofs to hesitate at committing to them all that is in my heart relative to our past or future intercourse and connection.

When I first devoted myself to this work, I took it up at a time of leisure and a time of life, when I conceived myself in a capacity for the undertaking; I flattered myself I had talents and materials sufficient to furnish a collection of miscellaneous essays, which through a variety of amusing matter should convey instruction to some, entertainment to most, and disgust to none of my readers. To effect these purposes I studied in the first place to simplify and familiarize my style by all means short of inelegance, taking care to avoid all pedantry and affectation, and never suffering myself to be led astray by the vanity of florid periods and laboured declamation: at the same time I resolved not to give my morals an austere complexión, nor convey reproof in a magisterial tone, for I did not hold it necessary to be angry in order to persuade the world that I was in earnest; as I am not the age's censor either by