well disposed to me,"

who get round him

us of. But he sees :11."

listening to his griev pose there and then. Lord Adair. I was afraid hich wouldn't do, because I of course I'd sooner be Lady onate to Lord Adair. He was ings, and giving me accounts of yachting, till it quite made my isn't very much in love with me mself so agreeable. A man always more he's in love, unless the girl's in it's pleasant enough. Never mind, I'll .. woman, and very stupid and ugly into can make almost any man love her if she heart instead of her own. That's the miss they spend half of their time in amusing ions instead of thinking what the next move cession of moves from one to the other, accordmity. I really do like Lord Adair very much. help it when one sees a man who has met so 1 beauty, thinking it worth while to so flattering that one must like him. inity of calling me "Emily," and he insisted so on that I was obliged to. At last he said, "Let's come and tell the syces to wait for us at the bungalow." After way on, we walked our horses again. He said that he go back to Culcutta in a day or two, and . he should often come down and see me.

pay one so He seemed

that he was so I said I was very

won't forget me, Emily, will you?" said he, "when I'm

into Calcutta, and buy a "Who's Who," or Peerage, or something of that sort, so as not to make any mistakes for the future. Besides, I wanted to find out all about Lord Adair's family and relations, and what estates he'll have when his father dies. I didn't like to say what I went for, so I persuaded aunt to go with me and chose a ribbon for my bonnet. When we had got that, I told her I wanted to go to Le Pages, for a pocket Johnson's Dictionary. I managed at the same time to get both a "Who's Who" and M'Clusky's pamphlet.

We afterwards went to Spence's for some ices, and who should we meet there but Boultbee. He was very attentive as usual, and as no one was there I determined letting him flirt a bit. Flirting is like billiards, one requires continual practice to keep one's hand in. Aunt scolded me for going on so with two or three people at once. I told her I knew very well what I was about, that she needn't be afraid of getting me off her hands. It was rather a shame saying that, for though she is a disagreeable old thing, I believe she is very fond of me, or perhaps more proud than fond. I declare the tears came into her eyes, so I kissed her and told her not to mind my nonsense; I was only joking. As I was dressing I took a look at M'Clusky's pamphlet, so that I might say I had read it. It's awful dry stuff, full of land tenures, and settlements, and Sudders, and Zemindars, and that sort of thing. I heard him say one day he liked the colour, so I put on my scarlet wreath. He noticed it directly he came in, and told me it was his favourite colour. I looked at him with a smile, and said I knew it was. How flattered the man was. After dinner he asked me to give him something on the piano. So I went and played some Scotch airs, to his great delight. I had no idea he could be so excited. He told me, by way of a compliment, that I played Scotch tunes with so much spirit that I must be a Scotchwoman. We had a long talk at the piano quite undisturbed, for aunt was tired and had gone off into a doze; while as for Colonel Jones, he goes to sleep regularly every evening, though if any one says so, he jumps up quite angrily and protests he was only thinking. Really, to see his indignation, one would think he had been accused of cheating at cards. Taking advantage of their both being asleep, I told M'Clusky I had read his pamphlet, and that it was very interesting, but I couldn't understand all of it.

"I should be very sorry," he replied, "if every one could understand it. I am not like Dickens and those sort of people who pretend they write for every one. I only write for a select few, but I shall be very happy to explain anything to you, Miss Alymer. Of course, a lady couldn't be expected to understand it."

I told him I should be so much obliged if he would come some morning and look it over with me. He then went on holding forth about how badly the Governor-General had treated him about that Punjaub appointment, but that he believed he was sorry for it now, and that he had every reason to think that he should soon have a much better thing than the one he had lost.

"The Governor-General has always been very well disposed to me," he said, "but there's one or two fellows about him who get round him and poison his mind against those they are jealous of. But he sees through them now, and I don't bear him any ill will."

He got into such a good humour with me for listening to his grievances, that I really was afraid he intended to propose there and then.

The next morning I rode out again with Lord Adair. I was afraid that M'Clusky might propose before him, which wouldn't do, because I don't want to lose M'Clusky altogether, yet of course I'd sooner be Lady Adair. Therefore I was just a little affectionate to Lord Adair. He was charming, rattling on about all sorts of things, and giving me accounts of Queen's balls, and country houses, and yachting, till it quite made my mouth water. I am afraid though, he isn't very much in love with me yet. If he were he couldn't make himself so agreeable. A man always becomes stupider and stupider the more he's in love, unless the girl's in love with him too; then of course it's pleasant enough. Never mind, I'll soon make him love me, or I'm no woman, and very stupid and ugly into the bargain. I think any girl can make almost any man love her if she only thinks of and studies his heart instead of her own. That's the mistake women make, and besides they spend half of their time in amusing themselves with their flirtations instead of thinking what the next move is to be; for it's all a succession of moves from one to the other, according to time and opportunity. I really do like Lord Adair very much though. One can't well help it when one sees a man who has met so many girls of rank and beauty, thinking it worth while to much attention. It's so flattering that one must like him. to take every opportunity of calling me "Emily," and he insisted so on my saying "Willie," that I was obliged to. At last he said, "Let's come for a good gallop, and tell the syces to wait for us at the bungalow." After we had got some way on, we walked our horses again. He said that he should have to go back to Culcutta in a day or two, and that he was so sorry, but that he should often come down and see me. I said I was very sorry too.

pay one so

He seemed

"You won't forget me, Emily, will you?" said he, "when I'm away."

"I'm sure I shan't, you have been so kind to me."

"Is that all, only sorry because I have been kind to you, as you call it. I had flattered myself you would have missed me a little, missed our pleasant rides."

He was getting quite excited, so I replied, "Don't be foolish, Willie ; you know what I mean. Well then, I am very sorry you are going, for your own sake, and I hope you'll come and see us very often; aunt, you know, likes you very much and will only be too happy."

"It's a very odd thing to say, but the idea of your being a little sorry for my going away has made me feel quite happy. What a darling you are, Emily!"

Then to my great astonishment, and before I could stop him, he put his arm round my waist. The harm was done, so it was no use making a fuss, and a second or a minute didn't make any difference, therefore I let him keep it there. I didn't think though, he would have dared to kiss me, but he did, and perhaps it's very wrong, but I can't say I really felt very angry. Indeed, I had hardly time, for just then, as he had his arm round my waist, that Mrs. Leslie came galloping round the corner. Fortunately, Willie had presence of mind to ask her if she had a bottle of salts or eau de cologne, as Miss Aylmer felt very faint. I saw what he meant from his not moving his arm, so I shut my eyes and leant still more on his shoulder. Before Mrs. Leslie could dismount though, I pretended to revive, and said it was nothing, I was better. I am afraid Mrs. Leslie wasn't taken in. She looked terribly incredulous at all events, and said, "How fortunate Lord Adair was near enough to prevent your falling."

(To be continued.)

WOMEN OF MERIT CONNECTED WITH CRIMINAL TRIALS.

BERNARDI AND HIS WIFE.

BY SERJEANT BURKE,

THIS sad story may be well commenced by the following petition of Mrs. Bernardi :

"To the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty:

"The humble Petition of Abigail Bernardi, Wife to the most unfortunate Major John Bernardi, who hath for upwards of one-and-thirty years last past been confined a State prisoner in Newgate;

"Showeth

"That your petitioner on the 25th of June last, did deliver to the King's most excellent Majesty an humble petition on behalf of the said unfortunate prisoner, thereby praying for the reasons therein contained, that he might for the present, for the benefit of his health, and to save expense, be removed from Newgate to the King's bench prison, till such time as his Majesty should graciously see cause to order his absolute discharge, as by the said petition, reference being thereto had, more fully may appear. That in the reign of his late Majesty, in the time of the Preston rebellion, many prisoners under condemnation and sentence of death for high treason (but reprieved), for the sake of their health obtained an indulgence of a removal from one prison to another, where the closeness of their confinement endangered their lives, as is now the case of the said unfortunate Bernardi, who, although he hath already undergone a confinement worse than death, was committed only upon suspicion of a very horrid and most detestable crime, in conspiring the murder and assassination of his late Majesty King William, but without any proof, or as much as the oath of a single witness against him; neither hath any proof been found against him, or he brought to any trial, in upwards of oneand-thirty years' time; and as he hath been always ready and desirous to take his trial, he hath, from time to time, regularly entered his prayer to be tried.

"Your petitioner therefore doth most humbly beseech and supplicate your Majesty, in your sovereign compassion and great goodness, to intercede with the King's most excellent Majesty for the removal of your petitioner's unfortunate husband, the said Major John Bernardi, from Newgate to the King's bench prison.

"And your petitioner shall ever pray, etc."