"But the fever," said lady Cecilia; "it is most likely contagious."

"Oh, I am not afraid," answered lady Jane; "I shall not catch it, I am sure."

But however, lord Ainsfield for several days opposed her going, and consented to it at last with great reluctance, upon finding her bent on doing so.

On her arrival, she found lady Mary considerably better-in fact, out of danger. But fully appreciating the kindness of her coming, Mary exerted herself to appear more cheerful than she really was; for of late, even before her illness, she had lost much of her good spirits, and a violent fever, which had left her very weak, could not be supposed to have raised them.

"Well, my beautiful Mary," said lady Jane, the first day her cousin could come down to the drawing-room," and so you are perfectly contented to live here all your life, in a state of society as degree worse than solitude, surrounded by empty. fields and country squires, like a fair saint

in a hermitage, with heaps of ugly shapes about her?"

"And why should I not be contented," replied Mary," when I have nothing to make me unhappy-with an aunt that loves me as if I was her daughter, and every earthly thing that I could wish for ?" "And have you really nothing to make you unhappy?" demanded lady Jane, with a look between playful raillery and feeling. "Well I know," added she, in a rambling way, "that happiness is all imaginative. There is some man who wrote to prove that this earth, and all that it inhabit, are little better than an idea, a mere kind of supposition of a world; and I verily believe he was right. There is captain Malcolm, a very charming idea, and you a very dear idea, and Burton a very fine idea, and Cecilia a very stiff idea, and papa a very grand idea; and, amongst all the rest, there is that very sweet idea, Louisa Stanhope.-Mary, were you ever in love?"

Lady

Lady Mary started at the abruptness of her question, and a warm, soft blush rose quickly in her cheek, that sickness had made pale.

"Yes, you are the cunningest little creature I know, Mary," continued lady Jane," and I dare say you think you have hid it all from me; but a woman must be cunning indeed to deceive a woman. Well, I won't tease you, but you might have been more frank."

"Jane! Jane!" said lady Mary, "how can you go on in such a strange way? I really do not know what you mean.”

"All I wanted to know was, if you had ever been in love," continued her cousin; "for if you ever have been in that state of insanity, tell me if blushing, when we hear a name mentioned that we never mention ourselves, listening eagerly to hear every thing that is said about that name, and pretending not to listen at all, drawing a deep sigh whenever we have been thinking for five minutes"

"Well," said lady Mary, perceiving that her cousin paused, "and what then, Jane ?"

"Tell me then if all these," continued lady Jane, are not several and particular signs of that passion, as it is called, (though, by the way, I find being in love very different from being in a passion;) and if they are, then I will tell you in return, that Louisa Stanhope is in love, and in love with your brother."

“ Indeed!” said lady Mary, thoughtfully; “ but what makes you think that, Jane? you are sometimes too hasty in your conclusions."

"I have seen her a great deal lately," answered lady Jane; "she has left lady Delmont, you know. Indeed it was impossible to bear with her rudeness and ill temper. When she found Miss Stanhope was really going, she entreated her to stay, and accompany them all to Switzerland; but Louisa had made up her mind, and not having found one soul in the house to whom she could feel any attachment,

VOL. II.

C

ment, she put her resolution in effect, and has since joined another family, who live in Portman-square. I never heard of them before; but they keep up a good style, and I suppose are very respectable." "From what I saw of her at Sturford Abbey," replied lady Mary, "I should think highly of her; she is very beautiful and very elegant, and seemed gentle, modest, and amiable."

"That is said like yourself, Mary," answered her cousin; 66 you are sure to find out all the good in a person's character directly. Cecilia scoffs at the idea of lord Burton thinking of a governess, and wonders how you and I could take such notice of her. I won't say that Louisa is better than you, Mary, for you are an angel; but neither Cecilia or I will bear comparison with her, and what is the mock elevation of rank to true nobility of soul?"

"That Frederic admired her much very was evident," replied lady Mary; " but whether he had an idea of offering her