of honour, and no calumny can affect him. Leave me." "If you will not listen to reason, perhaps his lordship will, so here I remain." Joanna, finding that Paul had thrown off the mask of hypocrisy, and had now shown himself in his true colours, that of a mercenary villain, she restrained her anger. Reflecting how he could wreak his vengeance, not alone upon herself but upon her guardian, to whom she was bound by the strongest ties of gratitude, and alarmed at his threats, she so far yielded to his demands as to say "Upon your solemn promise that you will never obtrude yourself upon me again, I will assist you in your present difficulties. This is all I can spare," handing him the cheque she was about to forward to her guardian. "What's this?" he asked-" a cheque for fifty pounds? Make it a hundred, and I'll swear never again to intrude upon you.' 66 Impossible," she responded. "Then take it back again," at the same time throwing the paper at her feet. "I have no money in the house. Take this cheque, and I promise this day week to leave the other fifty pounds at the lodge." "Agreed; but mark me-honour among thieves-if you play me false, deceive or give me up to justice, I will wreak my vengeance on your head. Remember Albano ! " He rose to take his leave. "One word more. If I presented this cheque in the garb I have been reduced to, I might be handed over to the magistrate. Perhaps, then, you will, out of the promised fifty, advance me five sovereigns. With that sum I can purchase a suitable suit." "Here is the money; and now may your life be devoted to better purposes than it hitherto has been." After the departure of this man, who once had been dearer to her than her life, Joanna wandered about the house in a strange excitement of mind, fearful that if driven to extremities Louis might again threaten her with exposure. Then again, how was she to account to her guardian for not sending him. the cheque she had promised him? In order to distract and calm the turmoil of her mind, she took up her knitting work, and sat down in the window seat; but thoughts of the past deepened her feeling, and soon her needle falling from her hand, her eyes wandering over the meadow over which the stranger must cross, she sunk into a fit of distraction. Her reverie was so deep and earnest that she did not hear the door open as Hovingham came in. He stood, when he saw her absent look, and watched her in silence for some minutes. Then approaching and kissing her forehead 66 Joanna," he said to her kindly, "what has occurred? No bad news of Mr. Melvill, I hope ?" "Oh, no, nothing," she replied. "I met that strange man in the avenue, and his wild look rather frightened me." "The vagabond! I'll have him taken up if ever he comes here again to beg, borrow or steal, all of which I think he is fully capable." CHAPTER IV. But melancholy poisons all her joys, And sad she droops, repining, comfortless. PSYCHE. IT has been said that "a reformed rake makes the best husband." Now whether this adage is true and ought to be adopted, or false and ought to be exploded, we will not stop to enquire. Many instances pro and con have been advanced; on one hand, it is said that when a young man has "sown his wild oats," he is likely to steady down to a moral life; on the other, it is affirmed that to eradicate ill-habits is a task of great difficulty. Certainly Lord Hovingham must be considered as belonging to the last class, for having passed a great portion of his early life in the society of the demi-monde, he un questionably was not suited for the married state. He seemed quite to forget that a husband should be careful to keep up a lover-like attention to a wife, in order to preserve that bond of affection. He should avoid a careless and slovenly air, which men are too apt to indulge in after marriage. He should bear in mind that a wife is an object worthy of les petits soins, as well as of the greater duties, and it is by these lesser assiduities, constant attention, and little dèlicatesses, though all trifling in themselves, that a sincere passion. manifests itself, more than by the highest acts of kindness and liberality; for Love, contrary to all other passions, shows itself more in small things than in great ones. Whenever a husband begins to betray an indifference towards these lower ones, it may safely be pronounced that tenderness will not long survive. How unspirited an obligation is duty alone! The union of minds can consist only in love, confidence and sympathy. For the real |