"A keepsake? will you have Esmeralda?" said she, shutting roguishly in her white and plump hand, the black nose of her favorite greyhound.

"I love Esmeralda very much," replied Deslandes, stooping to caress the dog, and on the occasion touch the pretty fingers of Isaura, "Esmeralda is a jewel, but this jewel will not satisfy my ambition."

"What would you have then," said Mad. Piard, withdrawing her hand, and affecting an air of mockery. "In such cases what do they give in romances? A flower, would that suit you?"

"I should want something better than that," said the substitute, smiling.

"Better than that, you are an extortioner," answered the prude turned into a coquette, with redoubled irony, "let me see, I will look about. A curl of hair," said she, suddenly raising her finger to one of the brown and carefully arranged clusters which bordered the oval of her cheeks, "that I believe is sometimes given on great occasions."

"And for that, one would give his life," cried Deslandes, with a voice of emotion, "but you will find me too presumptuous. I should wish something still better."

"I cannot undertake to guess," said Mad. Piard, whose countenance became again severe, and her manner imposing.

"It is however, now very easy," replied the young magistrate, without appearing embarrassed, "there can exist but one object more precious to a lover, than a lock of hair of her he loves."

"And this object ?—"

"Is a portrait."

"And is this what you ask of me!" cried Isaura, when she had recovered from a long fit of laughter, so extravagant, incredible and fabulous did the proposal appear to her.

Deslandes waited tranquilly till the disdainful gaiety of his protectress should be calmed, then regarding her with a serious and penetrating air:

"You have not understood me, Madame," said he, "I had not certainly the presumption to ask for your picture, I only beg you to permit me to preserve it; you see there is a great difference."

Mad. Piard looked for a moment at the substitute, as one looks at a person whose reason is departing from him.

"Generally you speak in a sensible manner, replied she, after a moment, "what do you wish me to understand? It is impossible you can have had my picture painted."

"But it is not impossible that I have it," replied Deslandes. Mad. Piard shrugged her shoulders without making answer.

"If I show it to you, will you promise me to leave it in my possession?" asked the substitute.

"Yes, certainly, and I do not run any great risk in promising that, for the thing is impossible."

Deslandes put his hand in his pocket, and drew mysteriously from

it the box which Mad. Marmancourt had given him, and having opened it, he offered it to Mad. Piard. Astonishment rendered Isaura for a moment mute and motionless, but suddenly, by a gesture rapid as thought, she took the miniature from the substitute, who vainly attempted to retain it.

"Who gave you that?" said she, with a quick, and slightly changed tone-" do not deceive me, you may repent of it. I will know the truth, the whole truth."

This declaration was unnecessary. The substitute had seen that the lie of generosity had not succeeded, and he resolved henceforth to show himself veracious. He however made no scruple in adding to his recital some ornaments suited to exalt him in the eyes of his protec

tress.

"This picture is the price of my blood," said he, with a deep accent," and this, Madame, explains to you the importance which I attach to the duel at which you were just now laughing. From the hands of the person to whom you confided it, it had passed into those of that woman, whom I do not wish to name here; in her turn, she gave it to the man with whom I fought, and who, for the sake of bragging, would have made deplorable use of it. Warned of this indisputable fact, which seemed to me to cover some odious machinations, I would not tolerate it. That ball where you appeared so much displeased with me, served me for an occasion to provoke the person who had possession of your miniature. I compelled him to fight, I made him deliver into my hands the treasure which represents your image; this was one of the conditions of the combat. I was wounded, but with joy, with happiness, since it was for you. This is what I have done-Madame-Isaura-and now that I have told you the truth, all the truth, will you refuse to keep your promise? Will you not allow me again to raise to my lips, that picture, of which I would never have spoken to you, and which I would gladly have kept for myself alone, as the miser guards his gold, but delicacy is inseparable from real love."

After a custom still in use among provincial admirers, but which is beginning to fade away in Paris, Deslandes, in proportion to the degree in which he raised his voice, had bent his knees. At the last sylTable of the period, fortunately terminated by the word "love," he found himself on his knees before Mad. Piard, whose hand he had just seized, and the austere lady, either from surprise or emotion, had not thought to draw it away.

At this moment the door of the saloon suddenly opened.

“What impertinence is this!" cried M. Piard, who remained for a moment motionless on the threshold.

WATER WORKS AT MADEIRA.

In the island of Madeira the Portuguese government is at present carrying on a great work, such as would do honor to any age and to any nation. During a great part of the year that island is entirely free from rain. Even then, however, among the mountains, the clouds and mists furnish a perpetual supply of moisture, so that the river courses are never wholly dry. This water, as it descends from the mountains, is collected and conveyed by means of Levadas, or artificial channels, through the cultivated grounds. The country is everywhere intersected by these rivulets, and the most perfect system of irrigation is thereby maintained. Some of these Levadas were formed by the first settlers in the island, in the beginning of the fifteenth century. The slaves of the early colonists were Moors and Eastern captives, and it may be that from them was derived a greater attention to irrigation, and a greater skill in its application than is generally observed in European agriculture. Many of the works connected with the irrigation of the island display remarkable enterprise and skill on the part of the natives, and of these the most conspicuous is that of the Rock of Rabacal. At the head of a deep and narrow ravine which forms the commencement of the valley of the Ribeiro (river) de Janella, there rises a perpendicular rock not less than 1000 feet in height. An abundant supply of water flows from this cliff; partly in one large cascade sweeping over from the summit, and partly in the form of innumerable streams issuing from fissures in the face of the rock, and dripping down through the mountain shrubs by which the cliff is clothed. The water used to fall into an abyss at the bottom, whence it flowed along unemployed and useless, through the ravine and valley of the Janella to the Atlantic. It was observed, that if the water could be intercepted in its descent, and conducted by art from the course in which nature directed it, it might be turned to infinite utility for the purposes of irrigation. Who had the boldness first to conceive the actual execution of the project, is not recorded. It appears to have been attempted at an early period of the history of the island, as there are at one place remains of some work of which no tradition has come down to us. In 1823 the Governor brought under consideration the importance of making use of these waters; but it was only in 1836, that the work was commenced. Of the extraordinary ability of the engineer under whose direction the work was planned, Captain Vicente de Paula Texeira, a native of the island, even those who have not seen the place must form a high opinion from a simple description of the work. The height of the cliff I have stated is 1000 feet. About three hundred feet from the base, a horizontal channel has been cut in the face of the rock, sloping downwards and inwards, so that part of the water from above is intercepted in its descent, and falls into this hollow. The excavation extends round the face of the cliff

for about 600 feet, presenting the appearance of a vaulted gallery, the roof of which is supported at intervals by pillars of the rock. The water flows along this channel, and is then to be conducted by an open aqueduct or Levada, for the distance of six miles. Here another great part of the undertaking is in progress. A tunnel which will be 150 fathoms long, is to be cut through the crest of a mountain ridge, by which means the waters of the rock of Rabacal will be conveyed from the north to the south side of the island, and will spread cultivation and fertility over extensive districts hitherto either entirely waste, or yielding a poor and precarious produce, from the absence of irrigation. The channel on the face of the rock is now nearly completed; and the tunnel has been commenced at both extremities. In commencing the work, the operations were of an extremely difficult and dangerous character. It was impossible to reach the part of the cliff where the channel was projected by any means except by ropes suspended from above. Down this dreadful depth, with 300 feet of the precipice below them, the workmen were lowered, fastened to a little frame of wood at the end of the rope, and bearing instruments for boring and blasting the rock. When a mass of rock had been loosened by the handspike, or a train had been laid for blasting, it was necessary for the operator to get out of the reach of danger by pushing himself off from the cliff with his feet, and making for some tree or projecting point, where he secured himself till the explosion was over, and then returned to his labor. The workmen were moreover continually drenched by the streams of icy cold water falling upon them, so that they had to be frequently relieved, on account of their becoming benumbed with cold. It is gratifying to add, that notwithstanding the extreme danger of these operations (compared with which the samphire gathering of Shakspeare's Cliff, or the bird-hunting of St. Kilda, might be described as occupations of little danger,) only one fatal accident has occurred in the whole undertaking. And when we consider the extraordinary boldness of conception displayed in the design, the genius and ability with which it has been hitherto carried into execution, the difficulties and perils that have attended the operations, and the noble purpose of the undertaking, being not for mere ornament or fame, but for the permanent well-being and improvement of the country, we cannot but regard it as one of the grandest efforts of modern art-Letter of Dr. James Macauley, published in the London Athenæum.

STEAM NAVIGATION OF THE NILE.

The river Nile from Alexandria to Cairo having become a part of the grand channel of communication between Europe and India, by means of the steamers of the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, the state of the navigation of that river has become a subject of some interest. A correspondent of the London Times, under date of March 16, 1841, gives the following description of the present condition of that navigation.

"Commodore Napier declares that he has never seen a river better adapted to steam navigation than the Nile, nor one worse furnished! The Pasha lent him his best and newest boat, on the trip to Cairo lately, and the deck took fire on the way! The Pasha will not pay for the boat, and has, I hear, returned it on the hands of the builders. He is very anxious to have some good steamboats on the river, and gave an order for one recently on the principle of the screw-propeller; but withdrew it, on hearing that this construction required a greater depth of water than the river could maintain; sinking, as it does in the dry season, to 13 feet in some parts. He has granted the Peninsular and Oriental Company permission to place one steamer thereupon for the convenience of their passengers, and the boat destined for that purpose is now making the best of its way out, coasting carefully along the shores of the Peninsula and the Mediterranean-a dangerous trip for a river-boat, drawing only 24 inches. This company has also undertaken to bring out to Alexandria, in one of its monthly steamers, a double-bottomed iron track-boat, to be drawn by horses at a rapid pace, on the Mahmoudieh Canal, whereby travellers may be expedited to and from the Nile and Alexandria. But there is much yet to be done to fulfil the wants and wishes of travellers between England and India, and to render Egypt a desirable place of residence, even en passant, for the hon. Company's officers on furlough. As far as the Peninsular and Oriental Company are concerned, I am assured that no exertion will be spared to accomplish every thing that can be desired. Their managing director, Mr. Anderson, was lately here, and took a trip to Cairo and Suez, inspecting every thing connected with the transit of travellers, and noting what might be required for their better accommodation. In going over the Desert, he found a few miles of it rendered rugged and unpleasant for carriages by loose stones that encumber the surface; and naturally began to inquire how many men and how many dollars would suffice to have them thrown aside. The Pasha, who is now particularly inquisitive about English sayings and doings, heard of the passing inquiry, and jumping to the conclusion that the English were going to reform his Desert as they conquered Syria, sans phrase-sent word there to say that whatever was wanting should be done by himself,—that is, as soon as political affairs were settled, and he had leisure to attend to it; so that, in short, his ways are as far from being mended as ever. As