feelings, and the consequent disposition they excite in the mind to receive tender impressions" Convinced of this," added he, "I would had I an inexorable mistress. (and he smiled a little archly, and looked more earnestly than he had before done at Elizabeth), endeavour to allure her into such, more especially, as a writer, to whose opinions I subscribe, has declared, the lonely mountain and the silent grove encrease the susceptibility of the female bo-. som, inspire the mind with rapturous enthusiasm, and, sooner or later, draw aside. and subjugate the heart.""

He paused; but the reply Elizabeth perceived he expected, she hesitated to make; for, though in her heart she allowed the justness of the observation, she did not like to acknowledge so to him; on his pressing, therefore, for her opinion on the subject, she rather evasively said, that to be able to form a just one on it, she con-. ceived it requisite to have mixed in others...

"Pardon me from differing from you, returned he; "but surely one may easily

conceive that the noise, the agitating pursuits, and dissipation of a metropolis, are inimical to those feelings that soften and dispose the heart to love."

"Perhaps so," Elizabeth was about replying, when, to her inexpressible dismay, she heard the voice of Mr. Eaton. It instantly struck her, that, surprised at her absence, after having announced his intention of paying her an early visit, he had come in quest of her; and that to find her with such a companion could scarcely fail of exciting the most injurious suspicions in his breast concerning her.

Terrified at the idea, she directly hastened from the path she was pursuing, nor paused till she had got to a considerable distance from it; when, in much agitation, she motioned to the stranger, who, with astonishment in his looks, had followed her flying steps, to leave her.

"Good Heavens!" he exclaimed, turning pale, "have I then been so unfortu nate as to offend you?so unfortunate as to inspire disgust and abhorrence where

I wished to excite such very different sentiments?"

"No, Sir, no," said Elizabeth, endeavouring, from her anxiety to dispel the strange ideas she conceived he might form of her conduct, to speak in a collected tone, "but I am now near home, and, therefore"

"I understand you, Madam," slightly bowing, and in rather a reproachful tone, he cried, on finding she paused; "you deem me presumptuous, I see-could you look into my heart, you would acquit me of being so."

"You err in thinking such a thing," said Elizabeth involuntarily.

"Indeed!" exclaimed he with rapture, and a cheek suffused with its rich glow, "then why this impatience to banish me your presence?”

Elizabeth, with increased confusion, bent her eyes to the ground, and, unable to reply to this question, mechanically moved forward.

The stranger opposed her progress—

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"Nay, be not displeased," cried he, observing her about speaking with an air of anger, "I mean not to act contrary to your wishes; but, at the same time, cannot prevail on myself to neglect making use of so favourable an opportunity as the present for revealing my own-for avowing the admiration, the passion with which you have inspired me. Yes, enchanting girl," suddenly seizing her hand, and pressing it to his throbbing heart, while with eyes beaming with love he sought her downcast ones, you are the magnet that has detained me amongst these shades-I saw you by chance, but, sudden and transient as was the view, your charms made an impression on my heart, which is, I am convinced, indelible; nor did I endeavour to subdue it, when, on enquiry, I found you were single, at liberty to (here it may be requisite to mention that neither Mr. Eaton's visits nor overtures to Elizabeth were known in the neighbourhood) receive the addresses of a lover."-Elizabeth started at these words, and, turning deadly pale,

with difficulty prevented herself from repeating this last expression. "Had I obeyed the dictates of passion," he continued, in too much emotion at the moment to notice hers, “I should immediately have tried to make my way to your feet, but, unknown as I was to any one who could properly introduce me to you, I feared, by precipitancy, to incur the imputation of temerity, and therefore resisted those dictates. At the moment we met this evening, I was revolving the manner in which I could best introduce myself to you, whether by letter, or by watching for an opportunity of speaking to you-my wishes are, to be allowed to wait on you to-morrow, and to your friends reveal what my pretensions are to your favour-have I your permission," and he looked anxiously in her face, "to do so?"

Elizabeth could not immediately replynever had she been so cruelly agitated, never as at this moment, when she saw that all that happiness which she had pictured to herself must be the result of the union