ed lady Mary; "I am afraid, Jane, that captain Malcolm is the cause. If you would but have been warned in time, you might have spared yourself a great deal of misery; I have really a great mind to scold you." 66 Nay, do not, for Heaven's sake!" exclaimed her cousin; "the people teaze me to death in London with scolding. Now, Heaven knows, Cecilia might be as grave, and as prudent, and as distant to every body as she likes for me, if she would but let me do as I please also; but really I think if it continues much longer, I shall run away and leave them all, to try and find out the longitude of prudery and propriety, if they can, in my absence." 66 Oh, Jane," answered lady Mary, "think well what you are about. I cannot pretend to advise you, far less can I presume to censure you: but, for your own sake, do nothing that may make you more uncomfortable hereafter, and draw upon yourself the relations." anger of your father and Lady Jane promised to be circumspect, and no doubt intended it; but good resolutions are things that perhaps, sooner than any other earthly commodities, find their way to the moon, and lady Jane's were amongst the rest; for after spending a week with her cousin, she returned to town, and captain Malcolm was again lord of the ascendant. . In the meanwhile lady Mary's health did not improve so rapidly as had been expected; she continued languid and weak, and lady Anne Milsome began to be seriously alarmed. Having always looked upon lord Burton and his sister as her own children, but more especially Mary, who had been so much with her, she felt painfully anxious respecting her health, and again desired the advice of a physician from London, who strongly recommended change of air and scene, saying that the young lady's constitution had been been considerably shaken, and he con-ceived that the best way to restore her to health would be by proceeding as soon as possible to France and Italy. Lady Anne determined immediately to set out with her niece, but, for some reason, Mary strongly objected; she saw not necessity for it, she said-she would soon get well in England; and as the spring came on, she made no doubt it would do her a great deal of good. But lady Anne persevered, and Mary's was not a disposition long to hold out against kindness and entreaty. Accordingly, one day, after having stated strongly how much she would prefer remaining in England, she added-" You see how much better I am already: but if it is really so much your wish, my dear aunt, of course I must go." "It is not only my wish, Mary," answered her aunt, "but I must make it my most particular request, and I am sure that then you will not hesitate; for I should C 5 should never be easy and satisfied till we set out." 66 Knowing as I do that it proceeds entirely from affection for me," Mary replied, "it would be most ungrateful of me to offer any opposition, or let you be uneasy on my account; but you had better write to Frederic-he must be in Paris by this time. I wonder if he was successful in his inquiries about Miss Travers." CHAPTER III. And blest are those Whose blood and judgment are so well commingled, To sound what stop she please. Hamlet The Escape. IT was not far from Locarno, and, in the month of April; blue sky, balmy air, un parched parched verdure, hills, valleys, lakes, and rivers, all floated before the eyes, confused together in a profusion of loveliness, like the splendid objects of some fairy dream. Spring every where is sweet; it is the youth of nature, when the air is mild, yet fresh, like the first soft feelings of our life, when flowers spring up like joys, and skies are bright, like hope; when the clouds, as they fly, wreath themselves with the sunbeams, and the drops, as they fall, rise up again in blossoms. Spring every where is sweet, but Italy is the country of spring. It was not far from Locarno, in the month of April, the carriage was driving quickly along, and a cloud having come over the sky, a heavy shower began to fall. Charles Melville pulled up the window, into which the rain had been driven, and began thinking of other days. Mr. Wilmot was leaning back in the carriage, indulging a reverie that had already continued during the progress of some miles, c 6 and |