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larly the latter, as she had found out, while she stood at the door, that the footmen were both from Connaught.

It had been the peculiar fate of Julia De Clifford through her life to be almost always thrown among strangers, and to make her own way with them; so that she had not now to combat with those uneasy sensations awakened by natural reserve, upon the idea of an interview with total strangers; but for the first time in her life, she was going, and without a friend to encourage and support her, to supplicate for protection as an object of charity. The forlorn, insulated situation she now felt herself in, struck painfully upon her heart: she wept in anguish; and ere she was aware of the impropriety of indulging her ago nized feelings at such a moment, the coach stopped at Delamore House. The knockers were muffled, and straw was spread before the house; but the attentive porter opened the door without any signal. Julia, now called upon to exert her firmness, hastily suppressed her tears; but, inimical to a favourable first impression, her excess of weeping had left its trace behind in a violent red circle round each eye, which was

certainly, we must acknowledge, any thing but an improvement to her beauty.

Julia was received in the hall by Mrs. Ward, who, though she regarded our poor disfigured heroine with a supercilious sneer, yet with affected respect conducted her to an elegant boudoir, where were assembled four ladies and one gentleman

Lady Selina Southerland, one of the ladies, a pretty woman in her three-and-twentieth year, whose whole frame and countenance seemed convulsed by affectation, was seated at a table busily employed in writing; but the moment Miss De Clifford entered she

hastily dropped her pen, took up her glass, and steadily and composedly surveyed poor Julia through it.

Miss Modeley, another lady of about nine-and-twenty, with a face strongly marked with harsh lines, neither handsome nor pleasing, and in height, bulk, and limbs, almost colossal, was skipping, or rather leaping, in one corner for exercise, until the appearance of our heroine, when she instantly ceased, and seated herself upon the sofa by lady Selina, in an interestinglylanguid position.

Another of the party was lady Isabella

Harville, a very beautiful girl of sixteen, who was occupied daubing flowers and scrawling conundrums and rebusses upon a fire-screen. The fourth lady, the dowager countess of Hollowell, a very pretty little bold-looking woman of thirty-two, was then just six weeks a widow; and in the first stage of her weeds was playing upon the harp-" "The D-1 among the Tailors." When Mrs. Ward announced Miss De Clifford, her ladyship immediately ceased playing, and strove what she could do with a pair of large, prominent, dark eyes, to stare the young and trembling stranger out of countenance.

The Hon. Villars Harville, brother to lady Isabella, and about eighteen years old, was the gentleman. He had been trying a new opera-glass when Julia appeared before him; and without mercy he steadfastly levelled it at her, exclaiming in an audible whisper to his sister-"The prodigy appears, and a prodigy it proves! 'Fore Heaven! it is the head of my uncle Tony's white terrier, with red eyes stuck upon the black greyhound's shoulders. Bet you what you will, Isabella, that I make a conundrum upon it which shall puzzle every one."

Lady Isabella burst into an immoderate fit of laughter. Poor Julia, shocked at such unexpected rudeness, with difficulty disobeyed the first impulse of her wounded. feelings, which would have instantly led her out of the room.

To account for the wit of this young gentleman, we must confess to our readers that Mr. Goodwin had described our heroine in his letter to lady Delamore as what she had been, and what he doubted not she would be again when her health was reestablished; but the partial, good man seemed to forget what she actually then was a very spectre. Her long and fatiguing attendance upon her grandmother, united to a variety of mental sufferings, had dimmed the lustre of her eyes, and faded the glowing bloom of her complexion. A severe malignant fever had attenuated her form so grievously, and she had shot up so surprisingly in height after it, that now her tall lank figure, in deep mourning, was not ill adapted to the polite young man's simile.

Lady Selina Southerland, who had gazed undauntedly at our heroine until she had reached the spot Mrs. Ward had placed a chair for her in, now graciously bowed,

motioned for Julia to be seated, and thus addressed her:-"Lady Delamore is truly grieved that an increase of indisposition this morning prevents the possibility of her having the honour of seeing you, or the infinite pleasure of being serviceable to you, Miss De Clifford. But what to her ladyship is a source of severe regret will prove to some of the small circle present a matter of considerable happiness; for we trust it will be in the power of some one of us essentially to serve you."

Julia gracefully bowed her thanks; but there was infinitely too much of study in this address to touch her heart.

"Two of these my friends," her ladyship continued, "have, as well as myself, highly eligible situations to offer for your acceptance; but you shall hear the particulars of each, and then your own inclination and judgment must make your election.-A most estimable friend of mine a woman advanced in life, though still unmarried, with an immense fortune and most liberal disposition, has commissioned me to look out for an amiable, highly-accomplished young woman of good family, to reside with her as a sister and a friend. Her generosity

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