to find any adequate reward for you; but I am sure my thanks are due to Miss Stanhope for her kindness."

In about an hour and a half captain Malcolm returned with a medical mån from Exeter, and after replying frankly to the thanks lord Burton tendered him for his assistance, he left him with the surgeon, and went to present a letter of introduction which he had for lady Delmont, who received him with unusual affability, and begged that he would stay to dinner.

Captain Malcolm pointed to his dirty boots and morning dress, observing, that he was scarcely in fit attire for her ladyship's drawing-room. But his objection, which he did not urge very forcibly, was soon overruled, and the invitation was accepted.

In the mean time lord Burton's knee, on which the horse had fallen, was found by the surgeon to be much more injured than his arm; and he was strictly prohibited from moving off the sofa more than

was

was absolutely necessary. To a question of how long it would be before he could travel, the surgeon replied, perhaps a fortnight, perhaps more... Lord Burton seemed uneasy at this information, observing, that he was afraid it would be impossible for him to remain so long, but he would adhere strictly to rule, and hoped he might be well sooner.

As the surgeon took his leave, lady Jane entered the room, and laying a sealed letter on the table before her cousin" There, my lord," said she, " be so good as to frank that for me," and she gave him a slip of paper with the address.

Lord Burton did as she desired him in silence, and handed her back the letter.

"That is a good boy," said she, taking it from him, "for not asking any questions."

"I have no right, Jane, to ask any questions about your letters,” replied lord Burton;" but as you have led to it, I hope you have not written to my sister about

this accident, for you would frighten poor Mary without any cause."

"It is a long letter I wrote to her before it happened," answered lady Jane. "It is true, in the fourth postscript, I have told her that you have had a fall, but not in a way that will give her any alarm.”

Lord Burton shook his head doubtingly; but lady Jane carried off her letter, and sent it to the post with the rest.

The next morning lord Burton found that the surgeon's opinion was correct, for whereas his arm was a good deal better, the injury his knee had sustained was much more perceptible, and being now completely tied to the sofa, he was greatly dependent on those around for amusement. Lady Jane Evelyn devoted a great deal of her time to him, and Miss Stanhope, at those moments she was not engaged with her pupils, displayed towards him that sort of gentle unobtrusive attention, which shewed that she had deeply felt his former kindness on her first arrival

at

at lady Delmont's. He was now obliged to be almost constantly in her society obliged, for he felt all the charms of her conversation, and began to experience how dangerous an intimacy with Louisa Stanhope might be for his peace; and yet he courted her company, she was so beautiful, so gentle, so talented, yet so unassuming, that though he was well aware of the fas cination that crept over him, he could not resist its influence, and took every pretext to enjoy her presence as often as possible.

As lord Burton had supposed, his sister, alarmed by the account she had received from lady Jane of the accident which had befallen him, could not be satisfied till she personally saw whether he was seriously hurt or not. It was evening when Mary arrived, and the pleasure she felt in again seeing her brother, was only equalled by the sensations of lord Burton in meeting with one he so dearly loved, after a separa tion of nearly two years; yet there were many mournful remembrances came across

his mind at the same time, and threw a shade of melancholy over the very delight he experienced.

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Well, Mary," said lady Jane Evelyn in a low voice to her cousin, for they were surrounded by all lady Delmont's party,

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you see Frederic is not killed, and what man of gallantry would not suffer all the falls in the world, to have his arm bandaged by such beautiful fingers as those," glancing her eye towards where Miss Stanhope sat at work.

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Oh, she is very beautiful indeed!" replied lady Mary; " but I do not think that any man would like to fall from his horse even for that."

"Men say so, and vow so too, Mary," continued her cousin," and protest, to such pretty little creatures as you and I, that they would go a thousand miles even for a smile, and so they would as long as their own vanity could be gratified; but divest us of rank, wealth, or fashion, to give it eclat, and where is there one of them

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