out making their appearance, but a great number flocked to the drawing-room. Doctor Sydenham and Charles Goodwin had gone home early. Lord Francis joined the two comets; and lord Gaythorn and Fitzroy, allured by a different attraction, sought our heroine, and joined her little party. Lord Gaythorn, from having made large libations with his guests, was even more disgustingly annoying to poor Julia than usual; which Mrs. Goodwin and Fitzroy observing, they united their efforts to relieve her from his attentions.

At length the carriages were announced, and the guests began their general departure, when lord Gaythorn was compelled to leave his station by our heroine, to bid his company good-night, and hand the different ladies to their respective carriages; in which ceremony the four candidates found themselves under the necessity of assisting his lordship.

When doctor Hargrave's coach was proclaimed, Mrs. Goodwin, Julia, Miss Penrose, and Celestina, drew near the fire. Doctor Hargrave called to his wife, and lady Gaythorn started up." My dear Miss De Clifford !" said her ladyship, with the

most winning politeness and cordiality, "I hope you will give me the pleasure of your company at dinner to-morrow, to meet a party of my friends, whom I am sure you will admire, as much as they must be charmed with you."

"Augusta!" cried lord Gaythorn angrily, who was now in waiting to hand out Julia -"Augusta! how can you ask such a thing, or suppose Miss De Clifford will leave Mrs. Hargrave, whose guest she is, to dine with you?”

"I obtained Mrs. Hargrave's permission before I attempted to ask the favour of Miss De Clifford; with whom I shall feel myself exceedingly jealous, if, when she accepted your invitation, my lord, she rejects mine," said her ladyship, with a sweet and playfullyarch smile.

"Since Mrs. Hargrave has had so very much goodness to give for me leave, madam, I shall with pleasure great deal accept the invitation you so honour me with,” said Julia, courtesying gracefully, and most happy in an opportunity of doing any thing that was displeasing to his lordship.

"And still further I wish to trespass on your goodness, Miss De Clifford," said lad

Gaythorn.

"By Mrs. Hargrave's kind permission, and your willing assent, I trust you will accompany me to the hustings tomorrow; I shall have the pleasure of calling for you myself at twelve o'clock.”

Julia gracefully assented; and lady Gaythorn now looked significantly at Fitzroy, and smiled. Fitzroy's countenance was instantly suffused with the deepest tinted blush; and lord Francis, gliding behind him, softly said-" Her ladyship has discovered your secret, Horatio."

Our heroine was led to the carriage by Fitzroy, who had taken her hand several minutes sooner than there was the smallest necessity for; and she had left it with him, fearing lord Gaythorn should escort her out, as she perceived by his manoeuvring he meant to do.

As the ladies got into the coach, the horses seemed unwilling to stand. Mrs. Goodwin's cowardice took the alarm; but fearing doctor Hargrave (who was only stopping to bid lord Gaythorn again goodnight), she kept her apprehensions to herself.

The rector waiting to make more bows to his patron, displayed to the party in the

coach the four candidates, standing in a row together; and nothing, undoubtedly, could have been done to show Fitzroy's strikinglyfine, tall, graceful figure, and handsome face, to more forcible advantage.-Mr. Smith, we have already intimated, was of the first order of dwarfhood, with an immense head, curving legs, and an enormous nose, red as Bardolph's. Sir Samuel Clodly was an inert structure of powerless bones and sinews, badly formed, and worse put together; with a face in which each feature might be discerned at some leagues' distance at sea, without the aid of a telescope. Rackrent was long past the prime of life, and had shrivelled up his face and person by perpetual fretting; and had frowned upon all around him, until his countenance became an object of extreme terror to children and all his inferiors-of disgust to all his equals and superiors.

Mr.

The contrast struck Celestina (who was no respecter of persons) so forcibly, that, to the dismay of her companions, she suddenly exclaimed-" No hobgoblins!-Fitzroy for

ever!"

"Hobgoblins, child!--although the night

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is impenetrably dark, you cannot fear any with such a coachful," said her highly-disconcerted father, hastily getting into the carriage, which now moved on, rather uneasily, in a kind of jerking, zigzag direction. Celestina, my love," said doctor Hargrave, your reason should teach you not to shock the feelings of those who--" Suddenly the coach stopped-voices were heard surrounding it, and some one seemed to dismount awkwardly from the box.

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Doctor Hargrave, in alarm, demanded "what was the matter?" and was answered by Mr. Smith-" Nothing now, doctor. There was a little impediment in your way, which has been fortunately removed, and you are now perfectly safe. Good-night!"

The coach again moved on, but now swiftly and with spirit." Geeho!" cried Miss Hargrave. "Old Ralph drives as if he had been to the mill, and in one minute was ground young again.-Ecod! he makes the puffy horses smoke for it!"

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"He drives, indeed, like a second Phaeton!" replied her father. Surely he is inspired!"

"To be sure he is with a wish to get away from those scare-crows," said his