ever, hating and despising himself, yearning to pursue at leisure the new thoughts which thronged on him, and yet resolved to tear her from his heart, cost what it might, or else to tear himself away; for this vicinity to her, these exposures to interviews with her, this necessity of feigned familiarity, so dangerous and enervating to his resolution, he saw plainly were beyond his power to resist.

"So you're going to take Fanny to the theatre with you this evening?" said Elton. "I don't half like it."

"When your consent is asked, my good friend," said Mr. Lennox, "it will be time enough to express an objection. I rather think it the present intention of the party to take her, whether you like it or not."

My dear Mr. Lennox," said Mrs. Elton, "I really admire your address. I have been trying all kinds of ways to persuade Mr. Elton to allow of her going, and I do not think he had made up his mind; but you put the question I had already-"

at rest.

Fanny is not looking well just now. I don't know what's the matter with her," said Mr. Elton; "the day before yesterday she fainted: she never did such a silly thing before in her life. I don't know what to make of it."

Harry stole a glance at her-her eyes were drooped thoughtfully down-he felt like a scoundrel.

"I shall take care she sha'n't faint again!" said Lennox. "I should like to know how you'll do that; besides, you know, I am no friend to theatres at all."

"My husband is too strict on that and a great many other points," said Mrs. Elton. "I am not of his opinion, howI think the mind that is pure is pure everywhere, and certainly, were I to-"

ever.

"So thought your amiable ancestor Eve," said Elton; 'yet it would have been quite as well for her, and us too, if she had stayed by her husband's side, and not gone off where she had no business to be."

"As for me," said Mrs. Elton, who always interrupted everybody, and never stopped till she was interrupted herself, and generally not even then, talking over her competitors with the greatest good-humour in the world, and not the least idea of what she was doing, "I think much may be learned at the theatre, and there can be no reason to fear anything. I know, when I was a girl-"

VOL. I.-E

"Much may be learned everywhere," said her husband, gravely; "but sometimes the lessons cost too much."

"And I know," continued Mrs. Elton, without stopping, "that when I was a girl, my father used to take me often and often, and really, my dear Mrs. Lennox, I cannot discover that I am any the worse for it. For why should—” and she went on with her argument.

"She shall go to-night, as she and you wish it," said her father; "for she is a good girl, and I don't mean to disappoint her; but, as a general thing, I think theatres objec

"Did any man ever hear such nonsense!" said Mr. Lennox. "Theatres are a delightful recreation. The language is improved, the mind restored to its good-humoured elasticity after labour and chagrin, and home is never more delightful than after returning from such pleasures abroad. I have always brought up my children to—"

"And as for me," interrupted Mrs. Elton, "I could never be of the opinion that young people were better for being kept in ignorance of life. If I had sons, I should send them everywhere all alone, never mind, be as wild as they might. Better let off their wildness in youth than have it when they're old. Now, do you know, there's Mr. Franklin, our excellent friend, you know, my dear Mrs. Lennox, they say, when he was a young gentleman—”

"For to-day," said Mr. Elton, "I yield; but, miss, hereafter we shall be a little more strict."

"I have got excellent seats," said Harry, anxious to say something; "you will have the Wilmingtons in the next box."

"Ha! ha! ha!" said his father, "that is an odd piece of logic. You have got excellent seats, we shall have the Wilmingtons in the next box; as if the vicinity of the Wilmingtons made the seats any better, particularly the old fellow, a sneaking, sly, creeping scoundrel, who would desert his best friend in the hour of need, if he could save sixpence by it."

"My dear husband!" said Mrs. Lennox, in a deprecatory tone of voice.

"Mr. Wilmington is a good man!" said Henderson. "Good? Oh, excellent! in old Shylock's sense of the word," said Lennox, "but in that only. Why, sir?"

"My dear husband," said Mrs. Lennox, "I won't have

you going on in this way about people whom you dislike merely because they don't exactly act up to your idea of what is right, and for the sake of his wife I always like him." "Yes, certainly, she's well enough; a nice little body—" "Nice little body! She's a very sweet woman."

"I'm sure," said Mrs. Henderson, who seemed to be rather a dry lady, with an expression of face as if she felt a sort of malicious envy for every one and everything she saw, "I'm sure I ought not to speak against her, for she's been uncommonly polite and kind to me, but she is a very odd person! I don't know what to make of her; she pleases at first sight, but when you come to know her more—' "Frank is saying the most extraordinary things to Miss Elton," interrupted Mary.

"What's the matter now ?" said Lennox.

"We, like you, have been conversing on the merits of Mrs. Wilmington, and on my saying, among various other causes why I admired her, that I liked her because she was so fond of Fanny, Mr. Frank takes it upon himself to exclaim, in the most rude way, he thinks that must be allowed to be among the least of her merits !"

How, sir ?" said his father; "I will thank you to explain what you mean by that!"

66

Really, Frank," said his mother, laughing, "I don't know how Miss Elton may take such a speech, but I should demand a written apology."

"Mary knows, and I hope Miss Elton also, perfectly what I mean: I mean that it's no merit to admire Miss Elton," said Frank.

This lucid explanation produced a general laugh, and even Miss Elton turned her eyes on him with a look of amusement, not quite unmingled with surprise, which added to the dilemma of the poor fellow.

"I hope you also do not pretend to misunderstand me," Isaid he to Miss Elton.

66

Upon my word," said Fanny, "the only meaning I can find is, you don't think better of any one for liking me." "Well, that is exactly what I meant," said Frank.

But the expression of politeness in his face so much contradicted the apparent meaning of his words, that Miss Elton could not herself help joining in the renewed mirth of the table.

"Ah, Frank, my boy," said Mr. Elton, "you are a bad beau, but I don't think the worse of you for that."

"If that's the way you pay compliments!" said his mother. "You never heard a gentleman, or a person pretending to be a gentleman, speak his mind so plainly to you before, Fanny," said Mary.

"Frank in name and frank in nature," said Emmerson. "You are all very dull if you really do not understand the idea I meant to express," said Frank.

Nonsense," said Harry, "they understand you very well, Frank; they are only laughing at you for being so unsophisticated."

No, upon my soul," said his father, "I don't understand at all, and I beg you to explain yourself at full. Come, we're all attention."

"They were praising Mrs. Wilmington," said Frank, "for a variety of virtues. She speaks the truth. Well! that is a virtue. She is of a gentle disposition. Well! that also is a virtue. She is charitable, graceful, handsome. Well! it may be said we like her the better for all that sort of thing. But her friendship for, her attachment to, her admiration of, Miss Elton, is a thing which-since everybody-who-as

The burst of laughter which greeted this regular breakdown appeared to distress Frank as much as it offended him. He coloured, pushed back the chair, and was apparently about to leave the table.

"Frank!" said his father.

"Sir." "Stop!"

To that voice he had ever been taught implicit obedience. "Sit still. Where are you going?"

"You can scarcely be surprised," said Frank, forcing himself into a sort of gayety, "if I withdraw from a circle where I have not the power of making myself understood." "Hold your tongue. Sit still. You are not a boy."

"I don't know," said Fanny, archly, looking at him with an expression of almost affection, which at least compensated for her share in bringing down on him this reproof; "I'm afraid-"

"How will you get through life," said his father, "with such a quick temper as that? Learn that it is the first duty

and the highest accomplishment of a gentleman always to keep his temper, particularly in the presence of ladies."

Frank did not appear altogether to relish this lecture, and before Miss Elton, too; but there was something in his father's manner at once playful and firm, which took off the asperity of command without lessening its power.

66

"I tell you what, Frank," said his mother, "we must lay a penalty on you for this outrageous attack on Miss Elton." Fifty years ago," said Elton, " you would have been obliged to drink a gallon of wine, or brandy perhaps; but we are past that, I hope."

"Let him explain his meaning to Miss Elton herself in a poem," said Harry, generously coming to the aid of his successful rival, as he now considered him, for he had seen the look cast on him by her.

"Excellent!" said Mary. "You are condemned to write an impromptu."

"Yes," said Mr. Lennox; "an extempore-metaphysicotragico-"

66

66

Comico-" interrupted Miss Elton, with another lock. Explanatory poem," continued Mr. Lennox, "before we leave this house for the theatre. The company shall assemble ten minutes earlier, to hear the document publicly read."

"By me," said Mary; "for I suppose the repentant author will be too much overcome to read it himself. There, Frank, you can go into the next room; you will find my desk, and pen, ink, and paper."

"Decreed!" said Lennox.

"The punishment is severe," said Frank, "if, indeed, the terms are not impossible; but I have no alternative, and if Miss Elton will accept such an expiation of my unfortunate attempt at a compliment, I will do my best; only she must pity and forgive me."

"Do so," said Miss Elton; "you have my forgiveness, but not my compassion. I can never pity a gentleman in any dilemma caused by attempting a compliment."

66

Why, what a horrible little tyrant you are!" said Mr. Lennox, as the company rose, pinching her cheek, till one, at least, wore its usual healthy colour.

"Oh! you hurt me," said she.

Frank, a great deal."

"You're worse than

"And they have even had the impudence," said Mrs. El