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sickness to which he had been all his life subject; and it was but justice that he should take into consideration her affection shewn in a thousand instances, and let it balance the only fault that she had yet committed. Lord Burton resolved to urge it as strongly as he felt it, but at the same time thought it best to suffer the first irritation to wear away, before he spoke at all upon the subject.

In the mean time he endeavoured to furnish himself with some excuse for calling on Miss Stanhope, with regard to whom all his plans had been overthrown by the flight of lady Jane; and walking towards Portman-square, he revolved a thousand reasons he could give, but rejected them as false and disingenuous as fast as they suggested themselves; and without having come to any resolution, he passed by the house at which he had been told she resided in doing so, he raised his eyes, when, to his surprise, he beheld a ticket in the window, indicating H 4

that

that it was to be let. Turning back immediately, he knocked at the door, and after making some inquiries concerning the house, he asked what had become of the family who had lately resided there. The woman who answered him was one of those commonly placed to take care of empty houses; but she was, nevertheless, brim full of her tale, and soon informed lord Burton, that the gentleman who had lived there for the last year or more, had proved at last to be no better than a swindler and a gamester, who had cheated and deceived all he had been connected with; and that the woman who passed for his wife, might be his wife, or might be something worse. Lord Burton was pained for the sake of Louisa Stanhope, and he proceeded to inquire of his informant, what had become of the young lady who lived with them as a governess.

"Well now, and that is more than I can tell you," replied the woman; “ I have heard the servants that they left when

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when they ran away to France, say many a time that she was a sweet, good young lady, and that they had cheated her as much as any one; but what has become of her I cannot tell."

This was all the information lord Burton could gain, either at the house or in the neighbourhood; but remembering that it was his old friend lady M who had

first recommended Miss Stanhope to lady Delmont, he lost no time in proceeding to her house, confident that she would be able to give him some information; but on coming near, the escutcheon on the front of the house at once told him that the voice of that excellent being was silent in death; and one of the servants farther informed him, that she had been dead about a month.

From hence lord Burton turned away, equally grieved and disappointed. His anxiety on Miss Stanhope's account was extreme; and he almost reproached himself for having made his journey from Naples

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Naples to London so long, as, had he arrived in London three weeks sooner, which he might easily have done had he travelled with even ordinary quickness, both lady Jane and Miss Stanhope would have been within the scope of his inquiries.

Occupied with these thoughts, he wandered towards the Admiralty, the sight of which put him in mind of the letter he had left there for lieutenant Travers, asking, in the warmest terms, how he could serve, in any way, the family of doctor Wilson; and he turned in to ask if that young officer had ever returned, when he was gratified by being informed that he had, and that the letter had been immediately given to him.

Lord Burton, thinking that in all probability he had called upon him, returned to his own house, to inquire if that had been the case; but amongst the several cards that were presented to him, there was none bearing the name of Travers,

and

and here again he found himself as much

at a loss as ever.

Frederic's invitation to the baron de S, to remain with him during his stay in England, had been given and accepted with equal frankness. The society of each was most agreeable to the other, and they had no point of disagreement.

...Three or four mornings after his arrival, amongst the letters he received by post, were two which excited in his bosom a good deal of interest, though of a very different description. The one was from his sister Mary, informing him of all that had happened to herself and Charles in Greece, and telling him that they had arrived as far as Paris, in their way to England. The other bore the post-mark of Newcastle; it was written in very pure Italian, and conveyed a request that he would proceed instantly to that town, where he would meet with those (it said), who would inform him farther; ending with an assurance that his whole happiness н6

in

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