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After dinner, accordingly, the master of the house was made drunk, and colonel Stanhope sat down to amuse him with hazard, whilst the rest betted and endeavoured to draw in your cousin: but he was too wise, and continued looking on, while his friend lost large sums, till at length Burton detected them in evident cheatery: he interfered; high words arose; colonel Stanhope struck him, and in return Burton kicked him down stairs. The event, you may suppose, was a challenge from Stanhope. Perhaps Frederic was wrong in ac cepting it from one who had forfeited all claim to gentlemanlike satisfaction: but it was however agreed that they should meet in France, Burton having previous ly determined, and informed his second of his resolution not to fire; for he thinks it murder, it seems, to take the life of another in a duel. When they met, Stanhope fired first, without effect; and Burton's pistol being upon the hair, as he raised it to discharge it in the air, the trig

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ger somehow got entangled with his glove, went off, and the ball passed through Stanhope's heart. Frederic was in despair for what he had so inadvertently done, and could scarcely be got off the ground; but at length his second prevailed on him to proceed to Paris, in order to avoid any unpleasant circumstances that might follow. In the mean time the body of Stanhope was removed to the town; and on an inquiry that was made for his relations, none could be discovered; but it was found that while Frederic was in Italy, this man had been dismissed from the German service, or rather broke, for some very dishonourable practices, and had supported himself since in several countries, by gambling, and frauds of different descriptions. But nevertheless, Burton has never forgiven himself; a deep melancholy hangs about him, which nothing can dissipate: he abhors the sight of England, where the quarrel originated, and, like a fool, passes the brightest of his days in remorse, for what

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what has really produced a benefit to society. Poor fellow! I am sorry for him: he was a fine, noble boy;" and the old gentleman dashed something like a tear from his eye.

"It is an unfortunate thing truly," replied Charles, " that one man should have it in his power to bring so much misery upon those that do not deserve it."

"It is indeed," replied sir Charles. "This fellow, it seems, was one of the most agreeable men: I hate damned agreeable fellows; I never knew a rascal in my life that was not the pleasantest creature under the sun. But this man, from what I hear, had qualities of really a superior stamp: he had a fine person, elegant manners, great information, and the quickest powers of calculation in the world. There was some story about him in Italy too, but what I do not exactly remember."

"Poor Frederic!" said Caroline, "I am sorry for him; I should like to see him; they say he is very handsome."

"So

"So he is-so he is," replied her father; "he always was so; though what he may be now, I cannot tell. He says he is very much altered. I think he might have been a little more friendly though, for all that. Come, Charles, will you take a ride? -the shower is off now." And so saying, he left the room, his anger against lord Burton having passed away, as every bad passion will soon do from a generous heart.

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CHAPTER III.

"He was not like thy thought. Thus fancy oft Builds up the airy fabric of the future;

From her own stores her light materials brings,
Models, creates, enjoys: and when all's done,
What is it but a palace raised of snow,
That melts away before the sun of truth,
Nor leaves a vestige of its form behind?”

The Tutor.

THE vacancy occasioned by Mary's absence was more strongly felt by every member of sir Charles Melville's family as the day passed on, than it had been at the immediate moment of her departure. At first it had merely been the pain of parting for a time from an object of affectionate regard; but as time slipped on, each felt that, in some particular, she had been necessary to their happiness, in a

manner

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