to reason and virtue, I may consent to overlook what has happened, and once more, tender my counsel and protection." Throwing her card upon the table Lady Veneer rustled out of the room, down the stairs, and out of the house-charmed with her own tact evinced in her triumph over Miriam, and confidently expecting that the latter's anxiety respecting Gerald, would urge her speedily to seek another interview, and humbly accept the terms proposed to her.

CHAPTER VIII.

PATRICIAN AND PLEBEIAN DAUGHTERS.

"If right prevail'd-you now would in the dust Before me lie, for I'm your rightful monarch!" SCHILLER'S MARY STUART.

A TUMULT of conflicting reflections agitated Miriam's mind, after Lady Veneer had gone. In vain she tried to solve the strange enigma raised by Lady Veneer's visit. Why had this great lady, professing so much charity and disinterestedness, wounded her so cruelly and gratuitously? Why had she endeavoured to implant in her mind distrust of Gerald? Why was she so eager to separate them?

Her last words had excited terrible apprehensions on the score of Gerald, for whose silence Miriam had not been able to account satisfactorily to herself. As time wore on and no letter came, she grew seriously alarmed. In her curiosity to discover what Lady Veneer actually knew concerning Gerald, Miriam had several times almost persuaded herself to seek another interview with that lady; but her pride, and feminine instinct which told her that Lady Veneer must be actuated by some personal and interested motive (though what it was she could not surmise) restrained her from calling.

It was the third day since Lady Veneer's visit, and Miriam's surprise and anxiety had become almost insupportable. She had resolved to conquer her pride, and call upon Lady Veneer, when to her surprise, Martha announced that Lady Veneer was below. Her patience was also exhausted, and besides, she wished to bring the matter to a satisfactory termination, before the arrival of

Covert; so, finding that Miriam had not come to her, she had returned to Miriam. This time she was not alone-she was accompanied by Lady Augusta Welborne!

Yes, strange as it must seem, Lady Augusta Welborne, on hearing Lady Veneer's description of her interview with Miriam, had expressed a desire to see Miriam-her rivalthe woman loved by Gerald Lindor, the poet, and for whom he had slighted herself, and so many other brilliant matches, offered to him. by society. Lady Veneer had at first treated Lady Augusta's proposal to accompany her, as a joke, and on finding that her niece was in earnest, she had protested loudly against so glaring an infraction of the proprieties and conventionalities of life. What! Lady Augusta Welborne visit the mistress of the man she loved! Impossible! Shocking! What would the world say ? Lady Augusta heard all her aunt's objections, and then said quietly,

"I don't care what the world says: I am

determined to go;" and go she did. Lady Augusta, an only child, was accustomed to have her own way, and Lady Veneer finding her expostulations useless, at last consented, on the express condition that Lady Augusta should be merely a spectator of the coming scene, and should on no account address Miriam.

To this stipulation Lady Augusta agreed. Embued with worldly ideas, and an overweening estimate of herself, her qualities, and social importance, she never for a moment imagined there would be any difficulty in dealing with Miriam, whom she regarded rather in the light of a troublesome insect, or unclean reptile, to be brushed aside, or crushed. The idea of consulting Miriam's feelings, never entered her brain, for to do Lady Augusta Welborne justice, she did not think that a person in Miriam's position could possess feelings. Lady Augusta knew about as much of the people of England, as of the North American aborigines. Perhaps she knew more of,