No. 5.-Scene in a Bed-room.

O horrible!

DRYDEN.-The Spanish Fryar.

By a window, whereat the summer-night-breeze crept cunningly in, to toy with the dark tresses that fell down one of the snowiest necks in the universe, sat Miss Evrett; her wrapper of plain white, though, in its many folds, loose as the locks above, not cloaking a figure to which, though short of the heroic standard, the neighborhood of Guido's rarest* had affixed no detriment; and an up-raised arm propping a cheek of bloom, a brow of thought, eyes of exhortation, and the richness of a feeling lip.

The Andromeda; whose beauty of conception, grace of outline, and, above all, with the free spirit of Art, most perfect and delicate purity, must be seen to be appreciated. (The National Gallery contains it.)

"Mr. Villiers !" starting erect; a blush it was folly to wrestle-with scattering any remnant of paleness; Surprise, Expectance, Concern (?) still doing their best, turn-about, against the crimson invader. But, quick upon the enunciation, was Villiers at her side, pouring forth his over-flooded passion, in velocity and tumult.

"I but ask," he proceeded (the first incoherence over), "a look, a smile now and then, a clasp of this, sometimes, kindlily-and will liveon, years, in the mere endeavor to merit more. Though I love you, warmly, earnestly, madly, with fervency unfit to brook delay, yet assign the furthest period, and I'll abide, and bless you for any decision after all! Forgive my precipitance -blame not-pity me! for my speech is scarce my own-something hurries I can't control; and, goaded by I comprehend not what, I've flown to you for solace or worse distraction. Decide it, then! Miss Evrett! You've already chequered my griefs; you can neutralise what yet subsist; you can prevent the formation of fresh. You feel for me," he cried, doubly passionate"There's a tear! Must I trace it from that benevolence susceptible to the veriest stranger's hap? Or oh! (you speak not!) oh, Grace, will I

deceive myself in joining it to a deeper but not less blissful? A word! a word! I'm unequal to suspense. Speak, I pray-I conjure you!-a word! to bring every hope into being, or blast them and me together!"

The tear had not entirely trickled-off; her confusion was scarce inferior to his; that, perhaps, hindered from articulation: but he, interpreting otherwise, prematurely concluded.

"It's enough" with a proud secretion of agony-" enough! I should be content-thankful for even your sympathy, and teach my tooforward aspirings to stop there. But I fancied you meant not always so-let that extenuate this intrusion, and the lesson shall be respected henceforth. Nay, speak not now! I would not distress you for formal declaration; I'd spare what yourself should experience in having to inflict pain. And I'll molest you no more—my depression shall not impede your joys. I see you for the last! oh, Miss Evrett" he broke down totally; then, rallying, "the last! Farewell! May blessings, only, be about you! Farewell again! Farewell for ever!"

And releasing the hand he had frantically grasped-which, by the way, submitted itself

with a nearly religious resignation—the doorbutton had part-accomplished one of the most trying revolutions to which it had ever been subjected, ere her voice transfixed him.

"Mr. Villiers!" she again pronounced; and it did transfix.

Now, it was not so much the simple words, for they (you know) were nothing (whatever might have been the mouth wherefrom they issued); nor the blood itself that, with resistless eloquence, coursed just then, anew, across her features, (though one's wide awake to the comfort of calling such matters into existence on one's own account); whence, it could only have been the -combined music and color of Fascination-in-theabstract, which Villiers would fain have worshiped, though on the idolatry, and on it alone, had the multiplex curse hung, that corroded his after-career.

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"Mr. Villiers!" But it should be premised, a modesty, more genuine than that inspiring Grace Evrett, was never shared by woman. And, yet, to this she annexed an intrepidity which tion's lords" chiefly arrogate as their special heritage, since the Peloponnesian War cut-up the sex in Sparta. And these two, in her, were per

fectly compatible; whence it happened that, though the former particularly desired the young man's evanishment from that curious place of conference, the latter insisted not only on his recal, but incited to plainer-speaking, when the hour of rectification might have been irretrievably sacrificed.

"Mr. Villiers, let me entreat you to be calm. Should you retire unreplied-to, it will be with the impression that I've trifled-and yet how can I express myself? This, at least," said she, in exertion to smile it off, "is not fit council-room. You'll allow me opportunity of speaking ere you quit Shetly—and so, a kind good-night!" And she approached him with extended hand, and a look, where everything lovable beamed forth with such winningness, that, had Villiers been in any other mood, it's not quite impossible (no! not quite!) to imagine what he might have done.

But he connected it all with the contract: confounded be those contracts!

"It needs not," he cried-his visuals nailed mournfully to the floor-" I exonerate you. Oh, it was my own insaneness! To dream of gaining a heart whose deserts are beyond all which one,