"I have seen Mr. Sommerville

6

he thanked me very much for having communicated, through Mrs. St. Felix, my mother's plot against his protégé, and paid me many compliments upon my behaviour, which were quite unnecessary. He told me that he had spoken to his pupil, who had most positively denied his having any such intention, and stated that he was merely amusing himself; and he had pledged himself not to take the least notice of me for the future. I am well aware,' said he, that what he has stated is not correct; he has not deceived me by his assertions; and were it not that I feel confidence in you, Miss Virginia,' continued he, I would write to his father that he might be immediately removed. I hardly need say, that should any thing of this kind take place, I should be most severely blamed: it is not the first time that I have been compelled to interfere, for my pupil is of a very susceptible disposition, and has fancied himself in love with at least five young people since he has been under my charge. In this instance,' continued he, making me a bow, he has some extenuation to offer. Will you oblige me by informing me if he adheres to his promise? or do you wish that I should speak to your mother?'

"Mrs. St. Felix replied, that it would be unnecessary; indeed, that if Lord left the house I should only be subject to fresh persecution. Mr. Sommerville, at her request, stayed to drink tea, and is certainly a very pleasant, well-informed, amiable young man.

"23d. I have received no molestation since the explanation with Mr. Sommerville, except from my mother, who accuses me of having affronted Lord -; and although I deny it, she asserts that he never could have so changed his conduct towards both of us if I had not so done. I have not seen Janet this week - I cannot imagine what has become of her.

"30th. You may imagine my joy, my dear Tom: Mr. Sommerville has received a letter, stating that his Lordship is to go down to his father's seat in the country, as he will be of age in a month, and he is to make acquaintance with the tenants;-there are to be great rejoicings there upon his coming of age. I am sure no one

can rejoice more than I shall when he leaves, which is to be next Saturday. I am also very glad to say that the Marquess has presented Mr. Sommerville with a valuable living, now that he gives up his tutorship. I really think he will do justice to his profession, for I have seen more of him lately, and esteem him very much.

"27th. They are gone, much to my mother's mortification, and to my delight; and now, as I have written so much about myself, I shall leave this letter open till I see Janet, that I may tell you something about her, otherwise I know my letter will not be interesting to you.

"31st. My dear Tom, you must prepare yourself for painful intelligence:

"Janet has disappeared She left her father's house last night after the family had retired, but no one knows where: she left a few lines on her table, stating that they would hear from her soon. Poor Mr. Wilson was here to day-he is half distracted — and the whole town is full of the scandal. Mrs. St. Felix told me this morning that she has discovered that within the last week she has been seen walking on the London Road with Lord possible?

Is it

"2d May. It is all true- Mrs. St. Felix has a letter from Mr. Sommerville, stating that Janet was brought up to town and married to Lord

two days ago. It appears, that from the time

that I repulsed his attentions, he fixed them upon Janet; that she encouraged him, and used to meet him every night, as Mrs. St. Felix was informed. Mr. Sommerville has seen his father, and fully exculpated himself; but the Marquess declares, as his son is a minor, that the marriage shall not be binding. How it will end, Heaven only knows; but she is much to be pitied. This will account for her not coming to me as usual. Now, Tom, I do not suppose you will pay attention to me at present, but from what 1 knew of Janet, and which her conduct has fully proved, she was not worthy to be your wife, and could not have contributed to your happiness. I pity you from my heart, as I know what you will feel; but still I congratulate you, and eventually you will congratulate yourself at your fortunate escape.

"I will say no more at present, except that I am, and ever

will be,

"Your truly attached Sister,

"VIRGINIA."

I had courage to finish the letter, and then it dropped from my hands - I was bewildered, stupified, maddened. As my sister said, I did indeed feel. Was it possible? - Janet, who had —Mercy on me! I threw myself on the bed, and there I remained till the next morning in a state most pitiable.

It is only those who have been deceived in their first attachment who can appreciate my agony of feeling. For the first few hours I hated the whole world, and had then the means been at hand, should in all probability have hastened into another; but gradually my excitement abated:-I found relief in tears of sorrow and indignation. I arose at daylight the next morning, worn out with contending feelings, heavy and prostrated in mind. I went outstood on the beach, the keen breeze cooled my fevered cheek. For hours I leant motionless upon an anchor - all hope of future happiness abandoned for ever.

CHAP. XXXVIII.

WHICH IS ALL ABOUT LOVE. BRAMBLE CONFIDES TO ME ALL HIS ACQUAINTANCE WITH THE TENDER PASSION.

To conceal from Bramble or Bessy the state of mind to which I was reduced was impossible: I was in a condition of prostration against which I could not rally; and I believe that there never was a person who had been disappointed in his first love, who did not feel as I did that is, if he really loved with a sincere, pure, and holy feeling; for I do not refer to the fancied attachments of youth, which may be said to be like the mere flaws of wind which precede the steady gale. I could not, for several days, trust myself to speak I sat silent and brooding over the

T

woman

words, the looks, the smiles, the scenes which had promised me a store of future happiness; such as would probably have been the case, as far as we can be happy in this world, had I fixed my affections upon a true and honest, instead of a fickle and vain, had I built my house upon a rock, instead of one upon the sand-which, as pointed out by the Scriptures, had been washed away, and had disappeared for ever! Bramble and Bessy in vain attempted to gain from me the cause of my dejection; I believe that they had many conversations upon it when I was absent, but whatever may have been their surmises, they treated me with every kindness and consideration. About a week after I had received the letter, Bramble said to me, "Come, Tom, we have had an easterly wind for ten days now; they are going off in a galley to-morrow suppose we go too-it's no use staying here moping, and doing nothing. You've been out of sorts lately, and it will do you good." I thought so too, and consented; but the other pilots were not ready, and our departure was deferred till the day after. Bramble had acquainted me in the morning with this delay: I was annoyed at it, for I was restless, and wished for change. My bundle had been prepared; I had passed the best part of the night in writing to Virginia, and was, as people very often are when under such oppressed feelings, in any thing but a good humour at being obliged to remain another day at Deal. I had walked out to the beach after we had breakfasted, and had remained there some time. Bramble had gone out in the direction of the post-office, and I asked him to inquire if there was a letter for me, for I thought it very likely that Virginia might have written to me again. I had remained for an hour on the beach, when I recollected that my knife required to be sharpened, and I walked round the cottage to the backyard, where there was a small grindstone. I had not put my knife to it, when I heard Bramble come in and say to Bessy,

"Well, girl, I've found it all out, for you see I thought old Anderson might know something about it; or, if he did not, he could inquire; and I've got the whole story. Here's Anderson's letter. I thought there must be something of that sort."

Here there was a pause, as if Bessy was reading the letter.

"Only to think she's run away with a young lord," said Bramble.

"So it seems," replied Bessy; "I'm sorry for poor Tom, for he feels it severely."

"I'm not sorry," rejoined Bramble; "she wasn't deserving of him; and, Bessy, I'm glad for your sake."

"Don't say that, father; Tom will never think of me, nor do I care about him."

"I don't exactly believe that, Bessy, for all you say so. It's my wish, and you know it, Bessy, to see you and Tom spliced before I die; and I thank Heaven that this false girl is out of the way; I've more hopes now."

"Marriages are made in heaven, father," replied Bessy; "so, pray don't say any thing more about it. It will be time enough for me to think of Tom when Tom appears to think of me. I shall always love him as a brother."

"Well, God's will be done! We must now try and console him, poor fellow; and I'm very glad that we're off to-morrow. Salt water cures love, they say, sooner than any thing else."

"It may, perhaps," replied Bessy; "but I feel that if I were once really in love, the whole ocean itself could not wash my love out. However, women are not men."

"That's true. You hug your love as you do your babies, all day long, and never tire. Now, you see, a man gets tired of nursing in no time; I never was in love but once."

"Oh! father, I've heard that story so often."

"Well, then, you sha'n't hear it again. Now, I'll go out, and see where Tom may be. I suppose he's looking at the wind, and thinking how it changes like a woman. But I'll light my pipe first."

"Do, father; and while Tom looks at the wind, and thinks of women, do you just watch the smoke out of your pipe, and think of men, and their constancy."

"Well, I will, if it pleases you. Put the letter by, Bessy, for I shouldn't like Tom to see it. What have you got for dinner?"

"I left that to Mrs. Maddox; so I can't tell. But there's cold pudding in the larder; I'll put it out for Tom."