the punishment that the brutish man has inflicted upon you."

Peter took the money irreverently enough, and first tossed up one piece, and then another, from his thumbnail. Seven times were they so tossed, whilst his mind was still more violently tossed in the troubled sea of doubt, whether he should retain the money given him under an apprehension so insulting to his manliness. At length, his doubts and the money were both quietly disposed of, and he made a low bow, dryly observing, "that he should like to be so beaten daily for the same remune

ration."

The young lady had just rung the bell, in order to send a servant to Mr. Underdown, to request that he would honour her with a call, when in plunged Mrs. Dredgely, with real alarm, and a great deal of anger depicted on her countenance, a countenance that was excellently adapted to the expression of such emotions.

"O, Miss Rosa, here's murder committed in this very house-and there stands the villain before you. Henry has gone off insensible, and we can't bring him to; his head is as big as a cider-barrel. The doctor will be here directly. I'm sure the man will die, if he is not dead already, we must secure that savage murderer. O, Miss Rosa, and you talking to him so quietly like. You are our prisoner, in the king's name, you savage ruffian, you."

"Pray don't be alarmed, ma'am; my late antagonist is only sulking; a wet swab will bring him to. It is only a judgment upon him for beating me so unmercifully." "Beat you-why, you've killed the man!"

"The man may die, or the man may leave it alone. I have two good golden reasons for knowing that he beat me this morning most unmercifully."

By this time, Miss Belmont became seriously alarmed, and they went immediately into the entrance hall, where they found Heavy Hal lying on the marble floor in a state of real or assumed insensibility. Already had his hands been slapped, and feathers and rags been burned under his nose. Those about him were in a state of perplexity and alarm, when Mr. Underdown made his appearance. This gentleman always carried a case of surgical instruments with him. Having dispersed the crowd from about the man, he bled him, and soon gave him the

full use of the moderate quantity of sense which nature had permitted to him. When his eyes were as much opened as the swelling about them would permit, he shook his head ruefully at Peter Drivel, and looking round at the merriment expressed on most of the counte nances, he prepared to shamble off in silence.

"You had better lead him to his bed-room, Thomas, and bind up his swelled head.”

"A shan't, Madam Dredgely—I says a shan't. I'll go whoam to mother. Ye may send my wages arter me. I turns ye off, and Miss Rosa too, as my missusses. I'll go whoam to mother."

And home to mother the beaten bully went, to the great satisfaction of every body.

CHAPTER IX.

When art meets art then comes the tug of war."

pro

Now, at this time, there was a sort of armed neutrality between Mrs. Dredgely and the young lady under her charge. Each was on the guard against the other. The elder was fearful of carrying restriction upon the younger to the verge of offence, the younger not desirous of voking the elder to the display of open enmity. Indeed, considering the short duration of her empire and her future prospects, Mrs. Dredgely was much at a loss whom of the two she should conciliate, the guardian or his ward.

The reappearance of Mr. Underdown brought the mat

ter to a crisis.

After Miss Belmont had thanked him, in her sweetest tones, for his assistance in recovering her departed servant, she begged that he would do her the honour of walking in, and partaking some refreshment. During this speech, Mrs. Dredgely smiled, and frowned, and fidgetted, but made no objection.

Mr. Underdown, wishing to do all things in the least offensive manner, and thus to do them the more completely, bowed very respectfully, first to Rosa, and then to her chaperone.

"I thank you sincerely for your hospitable kindness," said he to the former; to the latter, "Have I, madam, your permission?"

Why, sir," Mrs. Dredgely replied, "I am placed in a peculiar situation-that I am. A poor lone widow, though of the best family in the county, I assure you-of sound religious principles, too, sir-what am I to do? If I offend Mr. Rubasore-his own relation though I be-he will turn me out to starve upon my poor one hundred and fifty pounds a-year; and I wouldn't, for millions and millions of worlds, anger that dear delightful angel, whom I love better than my whole life. What shall I do-what shall I do?" And here there was displayed some of the best imitative sobbing and one of the whitest cambric handkerchiefs possible.

"We request you to do nothing, my dear good lady," said Underdown in his most insinuating voice," nothing but what will be most conducive to your own interests. Really, Mr. Rubasore has not used you well. I will explain this to you fully: however, I will gladly avail myself, in the mean time, of your invitation to take luncheon; I am really hungry."

This

At this repast, Mr. Underdown did every thing that could reassure Mrs. Dredgely, who confessed that she had received a great consideration, provided that, without encountering the opposition of Miss Belmont, she kept that lady from the sight of all visiters until he arrived. avowal Mr. Underdown had, with great art, gradually drawn from her: and, when thus elicted, was the cause of a most excellent burst of indignation from the romantic Rosa. Every adjective, the least synonymous to the word "perfidious," came into energetic play; and the scene, as the contriver of it intended, concluded in Mrs. Dredgely almost flinging herself on her knees before Rosa, asking of pardon, relentings, embraces, kisses, and, ultimately, vows of eternal friendship.

Having thus fully committed the gouvernante, Mr. Underdown next proceeded to explain to the ladies the law and the privilege that Miss Belmont had of choosing other guardians. He then delivered Captain Oliphant's letter, and thus opened to the eyes of Rosa a most delightful, a most blissful prospect. It was then that Mr. Underdown fully observed the romantic ardour of her disposition. The vivid eloquence of her expressions fairly

astonished him, to whom astonishment was so unfamiliar.

Yet Mrs. Dredgely did not fully participate in this burst of bliss. When she heard the plan of Rosa being removed to Trestletree Hall, the grandeur of the place commented upon, the largeness of the establishment and the amiability of its inmates, and more especially the great command that they had of the most fashionable society,and, during all this, when she found no mention made of her own name as an integral part of all these desirabilities, her cambric handkerchief was again at her eyes, and "Oh! what will become of me?" once more doled. forth.

Rosa was too deeply absorbed in her sweet reveries to pay much attention to these complainings; but as Mr. Underdown had not, by a great deal, so much heart as Miss Belmont, who, as she said herself, was "all heart," so he had some little sense of Mrs. Dredgely's sorrow, and thus undertook the part of consoler:

"Do not, my dear madam, give way to these doleful presentiments. Had you no other trust than the gratitude of the Bacuissart family, you would, believe me, have reason to think yourself fortunate. That Miss Belmont will marry Captain Oliphant may almost be pronounced to be a certainty. Reflect if, by any miracle, Mr. Rubasore should possess himself of the hand of his ward, how small would be your chance of hereafter becoming his wife.” "I Mr. Rubasore's wife?"

"Surely. He only overlooks your great merits in the presence of a person a little, a very little, younger, though a great deal richer."

Ah, she is a great deal richer, certainly." "You have stated the exact point upon which the ques→ tion turns. As to personal appearance, there are many, I assure you, madam, who would prefer yours to that of Miss Belmont. I should be a gross flatterer if I said all men would. Mr. Rubasore must be well assured, in his own mind, that you are better fitted to be his companion, his bosom friend, his wife, than a flighty young lady, who has been most elaborately, yet most preposterously, educated."

"Mr. Rubasore will never think so," said the lady, with a sincere sigh.