of her younger sisters: so I felt that while she remained we could not spend our mornings in the pleasant way we had done before.

When we were all assembled in the drawingroom, the conversation could only be on such general topics as each was able to join in. I began to inquire the news of the neighbourhood. How is the notable hero, John Stubbs?' said I, of whom I heard so much when I was last here?'

'Oh! Mr. Romilly, you mean,' said Louisa, slightly reddening.

No,' said I, 'I do not mean Mr. Romilly; I mean John Stubbs.'

Maria Compton laughed. 'Had you been as much interested in him as we are, Miss Markwell, you would have seen some time since in the newspapers, that John Edward Stubbs, Esq. of Elmwood, in the County of had received his Majesty's

permission to assume the name of Romilly.'

'Well,' said I, though the poet says, 'What's in a name?' he has certainly changed his for the better. But what sort of youth is he?'

'Oh! he wins all hearts,' said Maria, looking at Louisa.

I did not like this at all; and when we went out to take an evening stroll on the lawn, I contrived to draw Miss Compton aside, and inquire more particularly into the matter. From her I learnt that

Mr. Montague had been at first determined to have no acquaintance with Mr. Stubbs; saying, that like all other upstarts, he was no doubt a radical and a dissenter. But when he found that he not only had nothing of the upstart about him, but was, moreover, a churchman and a conservative, he be

came his avowed friend and patron, and made several parties for the purpose of introducing him to the neighbouring gentry. This necessarily caused a great intimacy between them. Mr. Romilly, (as I ought to call him,) was at the house almost daily; and though not yet the declared lover of Louisa, no one entertained a doubt of his being so in reality; and only waiting, with due humility, in the hope of insinuating himself into the fair lady's good graces. 'And he must have little penetration, and less vanity,' added Maria, if he does not soon discover that this will be no very difficult task.'

'But is he a pious man?' asked I; forgetting for the moment, in my eagerness, to whom I spoke.

'Oh! very pious,' answered she. He goes to church every Sunday, and never pays visits on that day, but usually takes tea here, and reads a sermon in the evening to uncle and the girls.'

This seemed to explain the change in Louisa, and made my heart sad. But I did not think it expedient to speak to her abruptly on the subject; so resolved to wait some favourable opportunity of doing so.

I found he was the favourite of the whole family; and the frequent object of conversation with all, except Louisa, who seldom mentioned him, but listened with apparent delight to the praise bestowed on him by others. As for Letitia, she spake of little else than Mr. Romilly; his opinions, his sayings, his taste, were introduced by her on all occasions.

'You make me quite curious to see this important personage,' said I to her.

'Well, aunt Patty, I hope all your wishes may be as soon gratified; he is coming this morning to dig Emma's garden and mine.'

'To dig your gardens! That's an odd employment for the Squire of Elmwood.'

'He is very fond of gardening, and says, if gentlemen would take to digging, there would be fewer dyspeptics among them, and they would save a great deal of time and money now spent in running from one watering-place to another.'

'But why does he come here to dig; has he no garden at Elmwood?'

'He is going to give Emma and me some beautiful American plants, lately sent him by a friend: he is a first-rate botanist and florist, and says our old gardener knows nothing about flowers; so, as the soil needs to be prepared in some particular way for those plants, he is determined to do it himself.'

6

I went to my room, as usual, after breakfast. At my last visit, Louisa used to join me there, after she had completed her domestic arrangements, and we read and prayed together, before joining the others in the drawing-room, or commencing our morning occupations. But now I was left alone, and my reflections on the cause of this were very painful.

Soon after I joined Louisa and Maria, who were at work together, Letitia came into the room, saying, Now, aunt Patty, come out to the garden, and you shall see our héros de roman; I hope he may be leaning picturesquely on his spade, when you catch the first glimpse. And you need not be at all shocked at the idea of coming out to look at him; because, as you are no contemptible gardener yourself, I wish your advice on some knotty points relative to the shape of a new flower bed.'

I followed Letitia to her garden, and found Mr. Romilly digging with all his might. I can best

He was

describe his appearance by negatives. neither tall nor short, stout nor lean, fair nor dark; not decidedly handsome, but possessing one of those delightful countenances, that when once seen, is never forgotten,-a face beaming with intelligence, benevolence, and good-humour. He was dressed in a sort of light jacket, his coat hanging on the door of the tool-house. After his bow of introduction, he immediately apologized to me for his appearance; adding, with a gesture of mock reverence to Letitia, "My mistress makes me work so hard, that I am obliged to doff my surtout.'

We soon got into conversation on the merits of bog-earth, and other garden amendments, and continued our discussion till Louisa and Maria joined us, to give notice that luncheon was ready.

'If you mean to be charitable enough to give a poor gardener his dinner, Miss Montague,' said Mr. Romilly, I shall continue at my work an hour or two longer, and ask no luncheon, except a bottle of ginger-beer.'

At dinner he was seated between Louisa and myself. He was certainly studiously attentive to her; but not so exclusively engrossed as to prevent him from addressing much lively conversation to me. My dear Louisa did the honours of her father's table with her usual graceful dignity; there was nothing of the bashful confusion of the love-sick girl about her; but as I cautiously, yet attentively, watched. her, I thought I could perceive a flush on her cheek, and a brilliancy in her eye, that bespoke an intense feeling of enjoyment. Mr. Montague appealed to Mr. Romilly for his opinion on the contents of each column of the London newspaper he had been read

ing; Letitia took the opportunity of her father's pauses to talk to him about annuals and perennials; while dear little Emma, (as we still absurdly persisted in calling her, though she was now the tallest of the sisters, and turned seventeen,) sat looking at him with unfeigned admiration, as if he had been the eighth wonder of the world.

In the evening I had a specimen of another of Mr. Romilly's accomplishments. He possessed a fine bass voice, and a considerable knowledge of music: Louisa did not sing, but she was an excellent pianist; she therefore, in concert phrase, 'presided at the piano-forte,' while Letitia, Emma, and their accomplished guest, sung trios, catches, and glees, in a style that reminded me of my youthful days, and Messrs. Elliotts, King, and Evans.

The account of this, the day after my arrival, might serve equally well as the account of many succeeding days. When the weather was too warm to admit of Mr. Romilly pursuing his horticultural labours, his gardener did so under his direction. When the American plants were all deposited in the ground, plants from other quarters made their appearance; until the gardens of Letitia and Emma threatened to cover the whole pleasure-grounds.

I had determined, before I saw him, that I would not like him; but I found this was easier said than done. He was, in some respects, a singular character. Having always considered him the undoubted heir of Elmwood, his father had given him an education suitable to his expected station in society. After leaving Oxford, he had travelled on the continent with a highly intelligent and accomplished tutor, who, being many years older than