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any one of the party seemed disposed to break the silence in which they had departed from Bellenden House.

Their way lay through a valley watered by the Wharf, (a) whose meadowed banks exhaled all the sweetness of the hay harvest. On one side were woods, buried by the evening shade, save where the moon, just risen, had, not "fired," but silvered the

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tops of the eastern pines." Not a sound broke in upon the stillness, except the regular returns of the horses' feet, and now and then the bark of a distant watch dog from the hills above.

It was a scene to sooth the senses of all the party, and that soothing each seemed afraid to disturb. All were therefore silent.

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Evelyn was employed in drawing a comparison between the richness of the treat which at present courted him, and the contests of vanity he had just witnessed. Georgina, the sweet and natural Georgina, gave herself up the more to the unsophisticated pleasure of the scene, from the recollection of the many artificial parts she had just seen acted, by persons who yet would have been enraged beyond forgiveness, if their sincerity had in any thing been questioned. And Tremaine required all the softness which by degrees stole upon him, to enable him to forget the disgust of the last hours, so as to (a) A very beautiful river in Yorkshire,

think, much more to talk of them with the commonest patience.

For the first mile indeed he was seriously revolving a vow within himself, never again to stir out of the precincts of Woodington; when he recollected the effects of such a vow upon the forlorn Sir Hildebrand, and corrected it into a resolution never again to go to a public day, or to extend his acquaintance beyond those neighbours who were at that instant his companions.

In these thoughts, the carriage rolled rapidly on, and the spell of silence seemed likely to continue; when Evelyn, after contemplating the moon, which, now risen higher, began to glitter in the rippling of the water, suddenly broke out with, "If Doctor M'Ginnis were here, what would he

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"For Heaven's sake," cried Tremaine, looking almost astounded, "who but yourself could think of interrupting such a scene as this with that odious man's name?"

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Perhaps," answered the Doctor, drily, you might like Mrs. Neville's or Miss Lyttleton's

better ?"

"Worse and worse," observed Tremaine; "those women are absolute imps."

"For shame," said Georgina with gentleness: "this charming night ought to cure ill-humour, whatever our reason for it."

"You are always so good!" replied Tremaine ;"but even you, if you would but answer honestly—" "That I will, if I answer at all," said Georgina.

"Have you then been happy," asked Tremaine, "in any one minute of your visit ?"

"Yes, very, in every part of it spent with dear Lady Bellenden.”

"Which amounted to that one minute," pursued Tremaine ;-" but during any other ?"

Happy is an important word," replied Georgina hesitatingly; " and I have even been mortified; but I have also been amused."

"Mortified by a handsome fool, and amused by a virago," rejoined Tremaine." I watched every turn of that tell-tale countenance."

to have read it well," observed

"You seem Evelyn, rather seriously.

"He who runs may read," cried Tremaine. "She is certainly no dissembler,” concluded her father.

"I own you have made me out," pursued Georgina--" for I was hurt by Lady Gertrude's finery, but more amused than disgusted by Miss Lyttleton's rattle, especially as Mrs. Neville seemed to think she meant no ill."

"My dear Georgina!" cried Tremaine; and in the warmth of the moment he pressed her hand—

Dear Georgina! her hand pressed, and in a soft

summer's night!-Then a declaration is at length coming from the refined Fastidieux.

Now there are three reasons against this. In the first place, the lady's father was present; which would have included a solecism in the etiquette of these matters never to be forgiven. Believe me, I have studied the subject. In the next, he had no suspicion whatever, how she would have taken a declaration, if he had made one; it would therefore have been altogether contrary to rule,-since, founded or not founded, there must be at least a hope on the part of the gentleman, before he screws himself up to the mark in question. Thirdly and lastly, (and which, perhaps, had better have been put first,) he had himself no thought whatever of making a declaration.

In sober truth, Tremaine pressed Miss Evelyn's hand, merely because he was pressing his argument; and though it was a soft hand, a delicate hand, a tender, elegant, and feminine little hand as any you should see in a summer's night, (and moreover such a hand was a part of a beautiful girl, which Tremaine particularly admired) yet he knew no more that at that moment he was pressing it, than if it had been Miss Carysfort's.

Not that he was insensible to all the little thrills and emotions, which even the tip of a finger can sometimes convey through another finger, up to the very heart; but then his heart must have been

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previously awakened, and the act itself must have proceeded in company with the proper associations.

But in this instance the associations were not in unison, for they were all employed upon persons who excited the reverse of tenderness within his bosom,namely, Mrs. Neville, Lady Gertrude, and the Amazon.

It was not exactly the same with Georgina; for with her pure, unruffled soul, attuned generally to softness, and full of that respect for herself which perfect innocence always creates, she had forgotten all the little disappointments which Lady Gertrude had made her for a moment feel; the noise and nonsense she had witnessed had begun to sink from her remembrance; and she was open alone to the impressions of the scenery we have been describing. With her, associations were all the other way. When Tremaine, therefore, uttered his exclamation, and pressed her hand to boot, as if to prevent its being lost upon her, a sensation of surprise, not unaccompanied with pleasure, came over her. It tingled in the fingers he pressed with his, passed up the arm, and took the road to a heart as pure as that Seraphina's which, in the dream of a moral writer of the last age, was found without a spot. (a)

I say,

"took the road," because I am far from

(a) See the Spectator, No. 587.

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