tion; but it is nevertheless melancholy, when experience and knowledge of moral evil usurp the prerogative of time, and wither those blossoms of youthful confidence and belief in virtue, which ought to be the portion of the young, and which bring forth fruits in their season, when no untimely blight gives them unripe decay. On the day following that unhappy one which opened to Miss Herbert's view her father's unprincipled mind, she waited anxiously for Lord de Montmorenci's usual hour of appearing; and, when she heard his well-known knock at the door, she was so agitated, that she feared she had undertaken a task beyond her strength. She was alone when he entered; he inquired, with his accustomed earnestness, for her mother, expressed his hope that her expedition with Lord Herbert had been productive of much pleasure to her; and, as she made no reply, he gazed earnestly in her countenance, and inquired if any thing had occurred to vex her? "Yes, I am very much vexed; and you only, Lord de Montmorenci, can alleviate my distress." "I! What do you mean? What can you mean?" "That which must not pass my lips. That which must not be known to mamma, or it will kill her. That which I must obtain from you, or I know not what will ensueperhaps self destruction!" and her features were convulsed, and her voice lowered to a tone of agony, which entered into Lord de Montmorenci's very heart. "I must have ten thousand pounds of my fortune, which is by far the greater part, I well know, placed at my disposal this day week; and you must ask me no questions, and I must give you no explanation whatever-and you must, indeed you must comply." "Miss Herbert, you know not what you demand of me; you know not to what you may subject me. I have no right to give you the command of your fortune for six years to come. Your aunt so left the disposal of the money in her will. It is not, indeed, it is not in my power to do this illegal act; but, if I could, are you aware that you would leave yourself and Lady Herbert without any resource, in case of"-he would have said in case of your father's squandering his whole fortune; but he stopped, and only added, "in case of any great distress." "I know it all-I am aware of all; but, nevertheless, you must grant my request; and you must not mention the circumstance to mortal." "Without consulting Lord and Lady Herbert I dare not, I cannot listen to you on this subject, Miss Herbert. Do not pain me by forcing me to refuse you; but, it is impossible, at your age, that you should understand the nature of the demand you are making, and I could never forgive myself, were I clandestinely to enter into such a transaction." "Then, Lord de Montmorenci, you will be the ruin of us all; you will see us disgraced; you will see as fugitives; will see my father a corpse!" you "Miss Herbert, compose yourself, I implore you; you know that I would do any thing, every thing, rather than witness so dreadful an alternative. But give me leave, as your true friend, to implore you to tell me the whole truth, remember a counsel can do nothing for his client if the latter will not tell him the whole undisguised state of his case; I do not question you from any idle curiosity, or for any reason whatever, but simply in order to be able to serve you more effectually." "It is in vain, Lord de Montmorenci, that you ask me to tell you for what purpose I demand the money. I have sworn an oath, and I may not break it. For heaven's sake, for the sake of every thing you hold dear, grant my suit;" and she sank on her knees before him. "In my turn, I beseech you, dearest Miss Herbert," raising her as he spoke, "suffer me to implore you to defer this subject for twenty-four hours, and, at the expiration of that time I will give you my answer." Some one approached, Miss Herbert could only say, "Life or death hangs upon your answer!" Miss Clermont entered the room. CHAPTER XIV. SCENE AT THE HERMITAGE. When beauty invites me, resist her how should I? THE LATE M. G. LEWIS. THE Signora Lanti inhabited one of a row of houses near the Regent's Park; they had just been built, and there was still an appearance of country about the place, which is now quite done away: the fate of all similar spots of ground near the metropolis, claiming the advantage of fresh air and open space, but which are quickly invaded by the lovers of rural retirement, who either cannot, or will not, purchase the pleasures of the country at the expense of being distant from the town, so these rus in urbe become mere excrescences of the great city's self, the fungi of avarice, and the folly of pretension to be any thing rather than what they affect to be, a solitary seclusion. The Lanti inhabited one of this row of houses which was designated Saints Row, and to her particular abode was superadded the designation of the Hermitage! The house or box thus christened, was built on the slight declivity of a grass hillock, cut into many irriguous paths, with stunted shrubs, dotted over the whole space, and the figure of a Cupid (what business he had there, let Saints Row tell) in the act of pointing an arrow, to show which of these paths led to the house, and, for fear of any mistake, an inscription on his pedestal was superadded. The building was composed of painted wood, and represented fretted stonework. Angels' heads, whose wings were coloured of every dye, supported the bright green verandah, and a porch with seats led to the interior of this solemn retreat. The first apartment certainly did not correspond to the name of the above dwelling: the walls were decorated with fluted muslin covering a pink paper; and dirty draperies of the same, pended in all directions from windows and doors, and gave a dim but certainly not a religious light over the room. A table spread with the offerings (and costly ones they were) of the rich and the vain, and the poor (who made presents at their friends' cost,) to their idol's shrine, stood always ready to receive more; while the idol herself, covered with shawls and jewels, presided in this temple of frivolity and folly. It was here that Lord Herbert was seated one morning, listening to the siren's song, when she suddenly stopped singing, and looking at him very significantly, said, "Then Il denaro caro." Then proceeding to speak in English, she added, "If I have not de sum I want by next week, I go, I fly. I shall be in de Bench, if I set not off." "Oh, not so; you shall have it, depend upon my word, do not doubt my honour." 'I do not doubt you, but dere be so many who do want your money, and you cannot make de coin." A loud ring at the door, announced another visiter. The Lanti rose, looked at a reflecting glass, in which she could see who came in without being seen; and saying, "I must admit him, it is Carlos," she nodded to a little black dumb boy, who officiated as page, and who had come into the room to receive her orders; and the next moment notwithstanding Lord Herbert's frowns, Sir Charles Lennard entered. "Signora, I hope I see you well. Ah! Herbert, so early? I did not know you were of the lark tribe. Really, signora, since you have taught my friend the art of early rising, I can believe you are capable of effecting any thing -every thing." All praise was welcome to the Lanti, she received this false gold, as though it had been true ore; and entered into an animated conversation upon the merits of a rival singer, newly come over, against whom she vowed eternal ven. geance, for having once supplanted her at Naples; and who, she said, she meant to exterminate in the first duet they were to sing together in the ensuing opera. "Vid de thunder of my organ, I can suffocate her voice, strangle it at once. Yes, yes, you shall hear, you shall see. Banyan," she called to her page, "bring me some coffee, place my cushions," and she threw herself on the couch, 66 Ah," she said, when he had executed her orders, "if you were but deaf, as well as dumb, you would be the finest 1 little serving fellow in the world. Banyan, you let me pour a little vitriol into your ears?" Banyan bowed, and put his hand on his heart. She laughed aloud, so did the boy; but his laugh was like that ascribed to the hyena, his large eyes were dilated to twice their size, and he showed the whole range of his ivory teeth. "I should not like to incur Banyan's displeasure," said Sir Charles, "he looks as if he could eat me up at a mouthful." . Another ring announced more visiters: this time two ladies came to pay their devoirs to the singer. The Countess of Rougemont and Lady Featherston, ladies of high consideration in the circle of fashion. There was an interchange of cheek-touching and endearing terms of recognition between them and the Lanti; and, after a conversation on indifferent subjects, Lady Rougemont made known to the signora her intention of giving a concert, and came to solicit her attendance at it, on which she said its success depended. At first, the signora professed her sorrow at not having a single night to spare, and, in a thousand graceful terms which her native language supplies, lamented the impossibility of her being able to comply with her request; but, when Lady Rougemont presented a valuable trinket to propitiate the good will of the singer, she with many affected refusals, was at length persuaded to accept it; and calling to Banyan, to bring her a splendidly bound book, she looked over her engagements, and found that on Monday fortnight she could comply with her friend's request. This happy discovery settled the business to the satisfaction of all parties. Is it impossible that English women of rank (though one of these had married a foreigner) should be so gulled by the avarice and impertinence of such persons? Look at many similar scenes in the world occurring daily, and read the answer. Sir Charles Lennard and Lord Herbert seemed determined to sit each other out; but, at length, the former departed, and only said in his quiet tone to Lord Herbert, as he left the apartment, "Have you any commands to Herbert House?-I am going there." Lord Herbert now made a violent declaration of love to the Lanti, to which she was listening very condescendingly, when sound of many voices of persons approaching |