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loves you, Signora. It is sad that youforgive me I pain you, but, oh! he is too excellent to be forgotten."

"I do not forget-" murmured Gwenthlean, pressing the hand she held. "But-" she would have added, "but circumstances had influenced her." She paused, however, and turned away, whilst Clare caught up the words, and exclaimed

"Let us put buts' out of the question. All will be well by and bye," and then she sang a couple of lines from the "Aminta" with much glee

"Ch' a stringer nobil core

Priana basta la fede, e poi l'amore."

CHAPTER X.

What fire is in mine ears? can this be true?
Stand I condemned for pride and scorn so much?
Contempt farewell! and maiden pride adieu !
No glory lives behind the back of such.
And Benedick, love on, I will requite thee,
Taming my wild heart to thy loving hand;
If thou dost love, my kindness shall incite thee
To bind our loves up in a holy band;
For others say thou dost deserve; and I
Believe it better than reportingly.

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING.

On the morning that was to have dawned upon Gwenthlean's mariage with Mr. Grant, Miriam might have been seen in her young mistress's room, looking disconsolately

upon the simple but elegant bridal dress that had been prepared for the occasion.

"Only to think," she exclaimed, "all this to be put by, nobody knows why, and everything turned topsey-turvey, nobody knows how. That nice, handsome, generous Mr. Grant, too! Well, well! at the eleventh hour to put an end to it all. It really is tremenjiously disappointing. How beautiful she would have looked too, in this white satin and muslin! All the pearl ornaments gone! returned I suppose. What can one think about it, and what could have occasioned it. Nothing but Mr. Herbert's return, I believe, and the raking up of old love."

Miriam's soliloquy, as she laid by the bridal attire with many a heavy sigh, was the burden of the conversation of all the good folks of Glanheathyn and Craigyvellyn, who were disappointed of their merry-making. The miller ventured to assure them that they might reckon upon another wedding instead, before long, but

most of them took it as a personal injury. To be deprived of a dinner and a holiday was a national grievance. What the miller meant, I cannot pretend to say, for certainly there were no symptoms of matrimony at the cottage. On the contrary, Herbert and Gwenthlean, though very civil to one another, in a friendly way, seemed not to think of love. But then it was rather soon after the rupture of the engagement with Mr. Grant.

Lord Hastings had followed Mr. Grant to his splendid home, where he was visiting, but could elicit no concessions from him. When he spoke it was with bitter sarcasm, and irony, and mostly upon indifferent subjects-but there was an unnatural restlessness and agitation in his manner, betokening a mind ill at ease. He commissioned Lord Hastings to see Margarita, and to offer her some kind of a settlement, which he did; but the indignant girl refused it, saying she would beg her bread, or die in her poverty rather

than be beholden to him. Mr. Grant declared his intention of at once quitting. Craigyvellyn, upon which Lord Hastings proposed paying a visit of a few days to Herbert, at the parsonage, where he found himself domiciled one morning, after seeing the last of his ci-devant friend, at a silent breakfast, previous to Mr. Grant's making a start for London.

The Glanheathyn party was a happy

one. Mr. Lloyd almost recovered his ancient looks and manners under the influence of his grandson's presence. Colonel Llewellen fussed and fidgetted stillgrumbled at the weather and praised India, yet could not prevail upon himself to leave his new friends, for whom he had a daily increasing affection. He seemed to look upon Herbert as his particular property, and was sometimes seen to watch him with the interest of a parent. Whether Lord Hastings was detained at Glanheathyn wholly on his friend's account or not, time will show, but certain

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