"Poor thing!" Murphy ejaculated: "I hope she has not been ill-used by them all: if I so"

thought so

"She wouldn't have you," Betsy added.

"How do you know that, Miss impertinent ? Did she not take my part when Lord Vahl was running down city people; and say in her gentle, nice way, that he had better not be so satirical ?"

"You have not quoted exactly, Mr. Murphy," said Lord Belnovine, who came in whilst he was talking. "But how goes on your flirtation with Lady Rosabella? You must be on your guard, or you'll have a challenge à la Vahl."

"Indeed, my Lord, I never seriously thought of her; for, to say the truth, I've my eye on Lady Emma; but she is always packed off to the nursery when I'm there."

"As forbidden fruit," said Lord Belnovine. "Is Lord Vahl to have Miss De Lastre ?" Betsy inquired eagerly.

"Vahl has passed the rubicon of trial,” he answered gaily; "but as he so often comes

here en passant to us, en particulier to your brother, it is not fair to sound the secrets that are intrusted to his discretion."

Murphy bowed, and Betsy looked disappointed.

"There's nothing new under the sun," Murphy remarked ; "but I do wonder they

are not married. It looks as if a storm was brewing."

His Lordship then handed them a card of invitation from Lady Belnovine, and galloped off for London.

“Well, I shall take precious care how I'm drawn into that web," Murphy began. " I'll

secure Lady Emma or none.'

"You had better be cautious how you offend any of them, Murphy; for you are not to play the impetuous, and so get us cooled out of the parties so pray do be careful."

"We shall have it all our way, depend upon it; do you not prate and ask questions, showing that you know nothing."

"One word for me and two for yourself, Murphy," Betsy observed. "And so we are

to go to Ville Park to-morrow evening. It will be a long drive there and back,--but what signifies? I wonder whom we shall meet. Come along, don't keep me waiting thus."

And Murphy conducted his happy sister into the dining-room.

CHAPTER XVIII.

"Il lupo perde il pelo, ma non il vizio."

Hope is a lover's staff: walk forth with that,
And manage it against despairing thoughts.

Two Gentlemen of Verona.

LORD and Lady Delainey, and Lord Vahl, were invited to join a party of their acquaintance at Ville Park; and after mature consideration, they agreed to accept the invitation for family reasons. Villetta was as happy as possible. A letter from herself to Ellen, not explanatory of the circumstances of the change, but written in kindness, was put into her hand by Lord Vahl, on his dismounting from his britzka. His general manner to herself was cold and haughty. Vahl was capricious; but his aversion to St. Germain was evenly pour

trayed, and so evident, that the bystanders naturally inferred that it arose from jealousy and ended in prejudice. St. Germain smiled sarcastically at this young lord of fashion, and played with his humours, not under the idea of amending and annihilating them, but to amuse and expose them to his friends around him. He touched on the engrossing foible of Lord Vahl's nature self-conceit; and spoke of persons

being strapped round and girt in stiff buckram by the patent of their nobility, and enveloped in their title-deeds, to the exclusion of independence and ease; but the heart is often a sad labyrinth, and we cultivate errors from vanity to vanity, till we are lost in the worldly

maze.

"So Miss De Lastre would affirm," said St. Germain, laughing provokingly.

"Your beaten track in the garden of worldliness ends in the last discovered séjour of an accomplished chef de cuisine," Vahl replied, as St. Germain was finishing a salmi. "By the by, Colonel St. Germain, I have brought you a pocket volume of ancient instruction and