mentally vowed that at the first opportunity he would reproach her with the baseness of her conduct.

Lord Eglinton, however, was not capable of dismissing from his heart the love he entertained for Julia. It is true that he contemplated upon a variety of terms and expressions to mark the indignation he viewed her with; but he still hoped that his intended lecture would have so happy an effect upon her mind, that it would induce her to quit such conduct in future, when, perhaps, he might possibly overlook the fault she had committed in displaying such unbecoming freedom. These thoughts were thrown aside by his Lordship as he watched her at Mrs. Arlington's party; where his half-formed determination to break off the engagement was decided by his observing her acquiesce in the request made her to sing with Signor Dulcenoti. As he often asserted his dislike to all

ladies who exhibited their vocal talents in company, Mrs. Clanmer failed not to take advantage of it; and in a moment of convenient opportunity, informed Mrs. Arlington that Miss Julia Sagittarius sung most delightfully, that her voice exceeded the nightingale in sweetness— using, in short,such encomiums in dilating on her wonderful and correct attainments in singing, that Mrs. Arlington's curiosity. was raised and excited to impatience. She would instantly have run up to Julia; but was stopped in her intention by Mrs. Clanmer, who then informed her that Miss Sagittarius disliked to sing in public, so much so, that she would feel offended with her for having mentioned it; she therefore requested. Mrs. Arlington not to name who it was that gave the information. The other, unsuspicious of the true cause of this request, promised to maintain an inviolable secresy; agreeing, however, with Mrs.

Clanmer, that Miss Sagittarius was extremely wrong to suffer her talents to lie buried whether it might arise from caprice or diffidence She therefore went up to Julia, and accosted her as we have before mentioned, and finally had the satisfaction of hearing her sing.

Lord Eglinton saw her comply: he could not fail, for Mrs. Clanmer, ready at his elbow to point out Julia's fault, made him perfectly aware that she was at the piano-forte, ready to accompany the Signor in "Perche crudel fin 'ora." Full of madness at this instance of Julia's levity, he took his station sufficiently fronting her to dart one of his furiously indignant glances, and when he had effected this, he quitted the room and hurried home, a prey to feelings of mortified love and pride.

He sat up half that night, or rather morning, to compose a letter to his mistress. In the agitation of his mind, he

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found this a difficult task, and it was not until he had torn up several sheets of half written matter, that he completed an epistle suited to his feelings, which he dispatched to Gloucester Place, to inflict upon Julia's heart a wound of the deepest kind.

CHAPTER III.

Where thieves, without controlment, rob and kill,
The traveller does fear each bush a thief:
The poor bird that has been already lim'd,
With trembling wings misdoubts of every bush.
RICHARD II.

THE Captain, with Mrs. Clanmer and Caroline, returned to their house in Montague Square, from Mrs. Arlington's party, in excellent spirits at the entire success of their artful schemes. They had managed to overturn Lord Eglinton's few remaining doubts respecting Julia without implicating themselves; they consequently were under no apprehension of any accidental explanation between the lovers they contrived to separate, even if such might possibly occur, but which they deemed impossible.