be comparatively little danger to be apprehended from this repeal of the standing law of society, which keeps apart its various members, till their principles and characters are known; but there the vultures of destruction direct their course, and often meet with unsuspecting victims, which they prepare for ruin. Skilled in all the arts of intrigue, polite in their manners, loquacious and obsequious, they waylay the unprotected female, who, having no suspicion of their dishonourable motives, gives her company and then her affections to the base spoiler of domestic happiness. Hence arises the absolute necessity on the part of parents, not to suffer their children, especially their daughters, to go to these places, except they go with them, or some wise and judicious friend, under whose protection they can take shelter.

As Miss Lester was a fine figure, handsome and accomplished, she excited general attention: was admitted into the first circles of fashion; admired no less for the sprightliness of her wit, than the elegance of her manners, and became the prize for which several of the loungers of dissipation were contending. At length, a Mr. Murry was declared the successful candidate, in whose company she was seen, taking her morning and her evening walks. From his appearance, his style of living, and the society which he usually kept, he was considered to be a man of great property and respectability; who had, like the group around him retreated from the busy scenes of life to enjoy the calm and repose of Teignmouth. But after the lapse of a few weeks, a circumstance occurred which excited the suspicion of Miss Hutchinson, the friend and companion of Miss Lester. She received an anonymous letter, informing her, that

Mr. Murry, was a mere fortune hunter, who had left London in the most urgent extremity, with the hope of being able by artful intrigue, to gain a fortune at some watering place.

This letter, she concealed from her friend, as she was not willing to become the medium for the conveyance of any libellous attacks on the reputation of another, yet she resolved to watch his movements, and endeavour, by indirect interrogations to ascertain, if possible, who, and what he was. She proceeded in her plan of enquiry very cautiously; but she could elicit no satisfactory information, as he, with great dexterity, turned away every question which bore any relation to his connexions or his circumstances. This, she thought, tended to confirm the correctness of the anonymous communication she had received; yet without fresh proof, she did not like to express her opinion as she felt too high a regard for the principle of honour, to take any step that should injure him in the esteem of her friend.

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Having been frequently pressed to take a day's excursion, Miss Lester and her friend at length consented, and they set off early in the morning, in a landau, to view the more remote scenery of this romantic part of the country. They stopped to dine and take tea at Sidmouth, and in the interval took a survey of the town. When they were prepared to leave, Mr. Murry entered the parlour in great apparent perplexity, saying, that he had unluckily left his purse behind, and solicited the loan of a few pounds till his return. This was immediately granted, and they drove back to Teignmouth. On entering the drawing room, Miss Lester found a letter from her father, urging her to return

home in the course of the following week. This information she communicated to Mr. Murry, who expressed his hope, that she would defer her departure as long as possible. The next morning he called rather earlier than usual, and having expressed a desire to have a private interview with Miss Lester, she dressed, and they walked away together. They did not return till some time after the usaal dinner hour had elapsed; and though during the evening she kept up her usual flow of spirits, yet after Mr. Murry's departure she became reserved and depressed.

"I guess, ," said Miss Hutchinson, "that you will leave Teignmouth with more reluctance than you entered it."

"I shall. Indeed I. shall; for, as I abhor dissimulation, I feel that I have lost the government of my passions."

"The same calamity has befallen you which has befallen others; but I presume you do not consider your loss, as a calamity."

"It may be a calamity."

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Yes, if the object of your affections be not worthy of them."

"I cannot doubt but Mr. Murry is deserving of the high esteem in which we hold him. Have you, my dear Charlotte, any suspicions?" "I don't know him."

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"Not know him!"

"I mean, I have no knowledge of his connections or circumstances."

"I have no doubt but he is a gentleman of great respectability; and considerable affluence; and you must admit, that he is intelligent and interesting."

"He is intelligent, and interesting in his manners; but

"But what! my dear. What is the meaning of the settled gravity of your countenance? Have you any suspicions?"

"Has he returned the sum you lent him at Sidmouth?"

"No. It escaped his recollection, I have no doubt."

"I hope, my dear Miss Lester, that his forgetfulness was the only reason why he has not returned the loan; but I doubt it."

"And have you any suspicion, that he is not what he professes to be?"

"May I speak what I think ?"

"Yes, Yes; if every word you utter should be a barbed arrow."

"I do not wish to wound.”

"But silence will wound, more than speech. Tell me what you think, and tell me all. I have not gone so far, but I may retrace my steps, if Mr. Murry has deceived me."

"The circumstance of his leaving his purse behind, would not have excited any suspicion in my mind, if he had not borrowed a much larger sum than was necessary to defray the expenses of the excursion."

"But, perhaps he had made no accurate calculation of the expenses."

"Well, I will admit the force of this apology; but when I view it in connexion with his not returning it, according to his reiterated pledge, I cannot avoid, my dear Charlotte, expressing my fears respecting him. For considering all circumstances, there was a degree of indelicacy in soliciting a loan from you, which a

gentleman must have felt too deeply and keenly to have easily forgotten. His pride must have been mortified."

"Oh, no! He had confidence."

"Yes, but I think a man of honour would have been extremely anxious to have redeemed his pledge by returning the money, that our confidence in him might not be shaken. We must remember one of the sage maxims of our late estimable governess, "little things develope

character."

"He ought certainly to have fulfilled his engagement, but as it slipped my memory, I have no doubt but it escaped his. He has engaged to take breakfast with us to-morrow, and then I have no doubt, all your suspicions will be removed."

The next morning they waited breakfast till eleven o'clock, but Mr. Murry did not make his appearance. They were both perplexed to ac

count for it.

"Some accident has befallen him," said Miss Lester. "He is ill."

At length they were relieved from their anxieties by the reception of the following note.

"Mr. Murry's respectful compliments to the Ladies, and begs to apologize for his unavoida ble absence from the breakfast table, but having a friend from London on special business, he could not leave him, but he intends doing himself the honour of calling in the afternoon, with his friend.

"Wednesday, noon."

About four, he was ushered into the drawing room, in company with his friend, whose style of dress and whose manners, were not like