ner?" said lady Mary, seeing him prepare to depart.

Certainly I will not, if you wish me not," replied Charles, attempting to give his answer the appearance of raillery by a smile that meant nothing.

"Wish you not, Charles!" said Mary, and something more trembled on her lip, but she did not give it utterance; and turning to the window, looked out into the large gardens attached to the house.

Charles left the room, and continued walking on through the wrecks of ancient grandeur strewed around him. For more than an hour he continued in bitter reflections, vacillating between hope and fear, till the feeling became insupportable.-“I will decide it at once," he said to himself; "I will know my fate, be it happy or miserable!" and procuring one of the small one-horse vehicles common to Rome, he drove as quickly as possible back to the house they occupied, which was a little way from the city.

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On

On his arrival, he proceeded straight to -the saloon, where he had left his cousin ; he threw open the door, and beheld her standing in conversation with the young nobleman lord Burton had introduced to her. The manner he was addressing her could scarcely be mistaken; Mary also was looking agitated, and he fancied smiling. Charles paused a moment, and a feeling almost like madness passed across his brain; but he overcame it, and drawing back abruptly, closed the door, leaving them together.

To the house they had was attached a large garden, laid out somewhat in the style of an English shrubbery, with walks winding through it in different directions. How it happened to be so, matters not, but into this Charles turned his steps, in a state of mind not the most enviable. His whole ideas were in confusion, he walked as in a dream; but the principal object on which his thoughts turned, was how he might devise some plausible ex

cuse

cuse for quarrelling with his rival, and cutting his throat in an honourable manner. It was a moment of passion with him, in which he could have committed any folly.

Every man is morally mad for the first five or ten minutes of any great agitation, and Charles was so for the time; but in the midst of it, a sudden turn shewed him Mary advancing towards him. Beautiful as she always was, at that moment, when every passion of his soul was engaged, when all those charms he looked on and he loved might be about to become the possession of another-when his fate was about to be decided, to win her, or to lose her for ever, in his eyes she was more beautiful than ever; he was in agony at the thought of what might be, and darted forward to meet her.

Mary, who did not know he was in the grounds, almost started when she saw him, and Charles's pace became hesitating and ill assured as he approached her-" Lady

Mary,"

Mary," ," said he, in a faltering voice," do I intrude?—or may I ask a few minutes conversation with you?"

"If you do not call me lady Mary," replied she, scarcely less agitated than himself, "you may ask any thing you like;" and she held out her hand to him.

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He took it, and kissed it repeatedly.Mary, dear Mary!" he exclaimed, "your kindness gives me new life. Tell metell me, have you accepted him?"

Mary saw all Charles's trepidation, and felt for him deeply; but it gave her courage, which she wanted as much as any one." Ask me any thing, Charles," she replied, "where we are concerned alone, and I will answer you frankly, but not where another's confidence must be violated to gratify you."

"Then I will," rejoined he warmly-"I will ask you what does concern me alone, I know, Mary, that I am unworthy of you-that I would not suffer myself to believe I loved you when we were in England;

England; I know that I have sacrificed all claim to your affection since, as in all probability your brother will tell you; but now I feel too surely, that if I lose you, I am miserable for life; and, oh Mary! though you may resent some parts of my conduct, I am sure that now you cannot doubt, no, not for a moment doubt, that I love you."

Mary's steps vacillated; Charles's arm glided round her waist, to support her; and leaning her face upon his shoulder, she slightly returned the pressure of the hand that clasped her own.

Tell me, tell me, dearest Mary,” he exclaimed, may I hope ?"

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Hope, Charles!" replied Mary, rais ing her blushing face and tearful eyes; "can you doubt it? After all have you done for me-owing you, as I do, life, and perhaps more than life, can you suppose would hesitate ?"

I

She was his own; all his fears were changed into hopes; his cup of joy was