pleases, without any apprehension for consequences. I only regret not having made him wear horns; as for you, that blood satisfies me.'

6

"I knew very well that he could not have talked thus, if his wound had been mortal. Our surgeon, however, shook his head, and with a pompous display of technical exposition, assured us that dreadful inflammation and fever would ensue, and that he greatly feared alarming tetanus. My invaluable friend, Dr. Morrison,' said he, has, in his treatise on tetanus, both idiopathic and symptomatic, so learnedly and experimentally, in Demerara, profoundly and obviously pointed out a mode of procedure instructive to the medical profession, and useful in the preservation of life to mankind in general, that I am prepared to meet death in that form, in such a manner as will puzzle his approaches. Yet, under existing circumstances, as the knowing ones acutely say, I will not pledge myself absolutely to defeat such an antagonist.'

"The gallant old General had taken down his pistols, and written a challenge, when he heard that Sir Harry L- had no brains at all; for report

spread that I had shot him dead upon the spot. I was, therefore, received by my friend and his wife with all demonstration of joy at my narrow escape, and professed gratitude for the manner in which I had periled my person to punish the base insulter. The General seemed fonder of his beautiful bedfellow than ever, for he attributed her virtue to his power over her mind, or to something else that flattered his dotage.

"Another most unexpected consequence arose from this affair. Miss Fanny's mother was perfectly astonished at what had happened, and so completely humiliated at finding how short-sighted she had been, that at length she acceded to the prayers of both daughters, that Edward should be admitted, and acknowledged as the intended husband of the sweet and constant girl. In short, she was permitted to write to him according to the dictates of her own heart; but as her tender and modest words were not communicated to me, I cannot pretend to guess them. This I know, however, that soon after, a very gentleman-like young fellow made his appearance at Arden Hall, as

the lover of Fanny, and became her shadow till the marriage day.

"What a ticklish time it is for a young pair to spend in each other's company, from the hour a pretty girl has blushingly dropped her head on her lover's shoulder, and either silently or verbally said, 'Yes, I love you so dearly that I am eternally yours! But what an eternity nearly a month must have appeared to Edward and Fanny, whose disappointments had given the keenest edge to affection! Their noses were continually meeting, as if drawn together by attraction: they were constantly watching each other's eyes, and I have often detected them sitting, after dinner, Fanny's hand locked in Edward's under the table. Sweet moments of expectation! but dangerous for frail human beings! Edward and Fanny sat before us, the picture of happiness and hope. I generally took Mrs, Arden's place, to carve for her, and had her beside me. What her thoughts were when the General's cough came across the table, or a twinge of the gout made him purse up his lean face, and cry out, Oh! I must leave you to conceive. I

must own I began to pity the poor young creature, and, in continually escorting her, and accompanying Edward and Fanny in their love walks, I occasionally half fancied myself her husband, or believed that she wished I were; for she would lean upon me so movingly, and look with such dove's eyes in my face, that I sometimes wished myself a thousand miles away, and at others, that my friend was in his grave. God help me! such an encroachment had temptation made on my honourable feeling, that I at length contemplated that event as at no great distance, and reconciled the thought with friendship. What a traitor the heart is! I could not have supposed, twelve months before it entered my breast, that such disloyalty could ever dwell

in mine.

"I had often thought Mrs. Arden was playing with my feelings, in her flirtations with Sir Harry L——. I was assured of it by her conduct towards him, and her tenderness to me afterwards. At length all doubt on the subject was removed by Mrs. Arden and me opening our whole hearts to each other. How this took place I cannot describe :

it was produced in a soft moment, and appeared more like an effusion of tender friendship than of love. We pitied each other, and seemed perfectly to understand every thought as it arose in our opposite breasts: in fact, Mrs. Arden's mind was like my own, equally inclined to honour, equally subject to passion and frailty. What did we do? We agreed to love platonically. She preached to me about glorious conquest over self, and I fortified her strength by quoting my obligations to her husband, and describing that man as a rascal who could think of dishonouring such a friend.

"It is probable we never should have come to such a dangerous understanding, but for the constant excitement we felt from Edward and Fanny. However, we saw them man and wife, and they started to spend the honey-moon in a cottage General Arden had at a neighbouring watering place. On that evening, Mrs. Arden's mother, and the General, retired early to rest, leaving us to sit up and kill time. What her thoughts were, I leave Mine were so agitated, that I

you to imagine.