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could induce him to suppose for one moment that a young woman of any pretensions would look at him with an eye of kindness. Floretta coaxed him a little and, though he feared that by bringing Lubin and Gillian to a meeting he should offend his master, yet he could not resist her entreaties; but smiling upon her, pressed his folded hands on his breast, and raising himself on his tiptoes, said "If I do thy bidding, sweet Floretta, wilt thou kiss me, hey?"

"Ah! truly, Mr. Solomon, when you have done my bidding! yea."

"Umph! thou art skittish, but thou art pretty, and-I-um-wilt thou give me an earnest of thy ruby lips before I go; it will make me move the nimbler, umph!"

"Nay, Mr. Solomon, it is bad to pay beforehand, you must earn your reward before you have it; umph!"

But thou mayst forget; many things fall out between the cup and the lip."

"Go, go, Mr. Solomon, go."

"An egg to-day is better than a chicken tomorrow."

"Prithee, good Solomon."

"A bird in the hand is worth, two in the bush." Floretta could with difficulty get her precise lover away, who, slowly marching along like a stately gander, met with Lubin, and bade him come to Gillian at the garden gate by eight o'clock, as she had something particular to say to him.

"Ay (said Lubin angrily), to tell me, she is obliged to marry in obedience to her parents, as if obedience to parents could break an oath solemnly given; however, you may tell her I'll come.

"Verily, friend Lubin (said Solomon drily), thou dost jump about like a parched pea in a frying-pan, and splutter like unto an egg that is roasting; but I shall deliver thy message, and so fare thee well.”

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Solomon returned with all expedient haste, and demanded his fee from Floretta, who was compelled to fulfil her promise, however much against her will. "Ah! Floretta (cried the foolish dotard), thy breath is like the new mown hay, and thy lips like unto sugar-candy; tell me, umph! when wilt thou name the spousal day?"

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"Nay, Mr. Solomon, that depends upon yourself." Upon me, Floretta? nay, now thou jeerest me ; if it depends upon me no time shall be thrown away ; time lost can never be regained, and therefore when my master friend Steady shall espouse the maiden Gillian, I will espouse thee! hey! umph!"

"Nay, Mr. Solomon, you have much to do, and many things to learn before I can marry you; in the first place, I never will marry a man whose mouth is full of saws and proverbs."

"Mum! a word to the wise! it shall be mended by degrees; word by word great books are written." "This is not the way to mend, Mr. Solomon.” "Pardon me, I pray thee, give me time; Rome was not built in a day; but it is a long lane that has never a turning.'

"And do you really love me, Mr. Solomon ?"

"Do I love thee? ask the wolf if he loveth the lamb ask the kite if he loveth a chicken; ask the vintner if the wine be good; ask the farmer if the corn is ripe; ask—”

"Ask! ask! ask! nonsense! ask your own foolish noddle if you will ever mend."

"It is done, thou shalt be obeyed; the sheep heareth the voice of the shepherd, it shall be done; slow and sure, they stumble that run fast; what is bred in the bone--"

"Hoity, toity! will you never have done ?"

"I have done; the journey that is never begun will never have an end; I will begin straight forward; fare thee well, maiden! I love thee, yea, I love thee umph! heighǝ!"

The tender-hearted Gillian was uneasy lest Floretta should make poor Solomon unhappy; but Floretta laughed, and told her he was too stupid ever to break his heart for love, so she need not be sorrowful on his account. . Lubin, true to his appointment, was first at the garden gate, though in no very good humour: the villagers had irritated his mind, some pitying, some blaming, and some laughing at him; and he would not have come to meet Gillian, only, as he said, to see how she could look him in the face after using him so ill; but the sight of his dear Gillian in a moment put his boasted anger to flight; and when she told him her dislike to the marriage, and that Floretta and she had laid a scheme to put off the wedding till he could be sent to, he was enraptured.

Floretta told him what he had best do, and he promised to undertake it; accordingly on the following morning he waited upon Mr. Steady, who had never seen him, as he had only known Gillian a few months before, when she was on a visit in the village, where his uncle lived he therefore boldly solicited an audience, and it was granted. Lubin apologized for troubling him, but said that as he kindly undertook to redress all wrongs which came within his knowledge, he had made bold to trouble him about a little business of his own, and hoped he would forgive him. Steady bade him speak freely, and if it was in his power to serve him he would. Lubin then informed him, there was an old man who, because he was rich, was cruel enough to take his sweetheart from him, and was going to marry her; and that her parents had formerly given their consent for his marriage with her, but now forgot their promises, and insisted on the young woman marrying the rich old fellow, though they knew it was against her will, and that she never could be happy. Steady told him, he was sorry for him, and that his case was a hard one; bade him be on the lawn to-morrow, and inquired

if the old man who had injured him would be there; then on Lubin assuring him he would, he gave him a sealed paper, bidding him direct it to the person, and expressing a hope that all would be right.

The morning came, and Gillian was very anxious. Steady spoke of his happiness in making her a bride, and she was terrified lest she should be obliged to marry him at last; but Floretta told her not to fear, for if the worst came to the worst, she could run away with Lubin, and settle all that way.

The dancers were assembled on the green, and every countenance looked gay and happy, save only Lubin and Gillian. Clad in her bridal white, she came leaning on the arm of old Steady, who squeezed her hand, and looked at her with a degree of fondness which would have driven Lubin mad, had he not hoped the paper which he held in his hand contained a written order from Mr. Steady, that he should marry the girl he loved, though the Quaker would be indeed surprised to find that girl was his own sweetheart Gillian.

Mr. Steady took his seat, and gave a question to be expounded; when he who might be fortunate enough to guess it was to receive the premium They all

Hstened very quietly, while he inquired if any present could tell him,-what of all things in the world was the longest and the shortest, the swiftest and the slowest, the most precious, the most neglected, and without which nothing could be done.-One said it was the sun, another the earth, a third that it was light. At length Lubin advanced, and, bowing with great modesty, said, he believed it was Time. "Nothing," he said, can be longer, because it will last for ever; nothing can be shorter, because it is gone in a moment; nothing can go slower when we are absent from those we love, or swifter when one is near them. There is an old saying, that it is as precious as gold, and yet we are always throwing it away; and as a proof, your worship, that nothing can be done without it, if the old gentleman we were talking of yesterday had not had the opportunity of my absence, he could not have taken away the damsel I mentioned to you, sir."

"Thou art an ingenious youth, and hast won the dower. Come hither, Gillian; on this day thou-art to become a bride; nay, do not look so grave, for I think thou wilt love thy husband. Lubin, come thou hither also; thou art surprised, young man, to find I know thee. If I give this maiden to thee, wilt thou promise to love, to cherish, and protect her? If thou wilt promise that, I will give her to thee with an ample dowry; and I think her friends will not refuse their consent to what I require.”

Gillian and Lubin threw themselves at his feet, · but their hearts were too full to speak. Steady looked at them with pleasure: "My good children," said he, "I have only been making trial of your constancy. I was in the wood last summer when you were seated beneath the old oak, and vowed to love each other for ever and for ever: I was desiand rous of trying the extent of female constancy, have therefore tempted Gillian with riches and