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better known abroad than in Englaud) she is politically intriguant. She will stop at no sacrifice to purchase a secret to fix a man of power and place as her lover. I have frequently seen her in a steady observation of what has been the subject of conversation, when others have deemed her an inattentive hearer."

"And who is that gentleman, so fantastically and so richly dressed?" said I; "he has the air of a foreigner, though every feature is that of an Englishman."

"That gentleman," said my aunt, "is a certain tradesman in St. James's-street, who, by some certain kind of services rendered to foreigners of distinction, or money, has contrived so to attach himself to their skirts, that wherever they go, he of necessity almost attends them. He himself is very rich, and if report may be believed, he does not owe his wealth to his faithful observance of non-intercourse laws. I think the Police would not be ill-employed in putting a question or two to him."

"And that old lady, that dowager," said I, "I hope she is not a spy."

"No, she is the widow of a Dutch banker; and is one of the wealthiest widows in Christendom. Behold in her an eminent

instance of the respect paid to wealth. She does not understand one single word of any thing that is said, and yet every one around is smiling with complacency at the good things she says in High Dutch."

I was about to put some more questions to my aunt, but such a hurly-burly now commenced, proceeding from a thousand tongues talking in a thousand languages at once, that I very readily embraced my aunt's proposal to take our leaves, and to finish the night at some other rout where one might at least have the consolation of hearing nousense in our own mother tongue.

"How singular it is," said I, "that the pursuit of what is new should lead us into what is so monstrous and unnatural. Are there no children to be found in your country?' said Cæsar to some Greek ladies, whom he saw fondling some puppies. And might we not demand with as much good reason,-is there no sufficient good society to be found amongst our own countrywomen, that this lady is so hardly put to it to get a social party for the evening.What a strange taste, this predilection for foreigners!"

(To be continued.)

ZARA; OR THE ADVENTURES OF AN ENGLISH WIFE.

(Continued from Page 124.)

THE Colonel approved Elvira's thought, and consented to wait in the grove for Zara at the setting of the sun, and to tell her every thing which could engage her to persist in her passion. Elvira fearing so long an absence might give some of the women cause for sus picion, she embraced the Colonel, left him, and went to give Zara an account of the success of her negociation, or rather to deceive her credulity. How fatal is the success of love! it often corrupts the mind, debases the most generous heart, and makes human nature capable of those actions which, in the reasonable moment of life, would appear horrible, and even worse than death itself.

As soon as the beautiful and deluded African saw Elvira she changed colour.

"Have you," said she, in a broken and faultering voice," any favourable news to tell me? I long to know what you have to say, and yet fear to hear it. Ah! how fearful and timid is a lover like me!"

"You will obtain," said Elvira, every thing you can wish for; for your lover is ready to sacrifice himself to you, and I will be responsible for his heart; I have a right," coutinued Elvira, blushing, "over him, sufficient to enable me to be his security."

"Ah! what is your right over him?” replied Zara, with much animation :-What, have you pleased that slave, and has he told you that he loves you? You would cost me my life if you were to be my rival. Although you loved not my lover, I should be equally un

fortunate should he have conceived a passion for you."

"I am not your rival," said Elvira, having a little recovered from the emotion occasioned by the words of Zara; "I am the sister of your lover. Fortune, by one of her happy fights,has restored me, in him, a brother, whom I believed to be dead many years since."

"What," cried Zara, "is the object of my heart your brother? Ah! my dear, how happy shall I be in restoring you both to your country, and shaking off your fetters? What pleasure to a heart like mine, at once to gratify love and friendship; to give my dear Elvira a brother, and my lover a sister! What would not I do to add to your pleasure and repose! Tell me, my dear sister, for henceforward I will call you by that tender name, if your brother should be displeased with me when he sees me. Amiable as he is, and accustomed to the charms of Europeans, he may find in me fewer graces and perfections, and see nothing in my heart but love. In favour of that love, he ought to look over my defects. You will speak in my favour, my dear sister, and endeavour to reconcile to him what may be displeasing in me."

Elvira was so much moved with Zara's discourse, and so grieved to be obliged to de ceive her, that nothing less than necessity, in order to restore freedom to her husband, would have permitted her to continue the abuse of her friend. Had Zara been less prepossessed, less a slave to her passion, she could not have avoided sering the confusion of Elvira; but she was so distant from the least reflection but the hope or speaking to her beloved slave, that nothing could attract her attention to any other object. She waited with the utmost impatience till the hour arrived in which she was to repair to the grove, and the sun seemed to have lengthened its course that day. At last the moment arrived which appeared to her the happiest she had

ever seen.

The sun was hardly sunk below the horizon, nor had the dusky evening yet prepared t draw her sable.curtain, when Zara, conducted by Elvira, repaired to the grove. On he arrival there, she perceived her lover at some distance, watering his flowers as before.

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"I know not how," said Zara to Elvira," to support myself, my knees tremble beneath me, my timidity overcomes me, and I find it will be impossible for me to speak to him. Before I saw him I had a thousand things to say to him; but now I am actually at a total loss for words. Assist me out of pity, my sister, to remove me out of this perplexity."

Zara having thus spoken, advanced towards the Colonel, who seeing women coming near him, pretended to retire, according to the custom of the country. The fear of Zara lest he should withdraw, emboldened her to address him first..

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Why should you shun us," said she; why should I hinder you from discoursing with a sister, whom you have not seen for a long time, and of whose sorrowful fate you was ignorant till this morning? I have, however, done every thing in my power to soften her slavery, and I doubt not but my dear Elvira has informed you that nothing will be wanting in me to change yours.

"Madam," replied the Colonel, with a respectful and submissive air," my sister has given me some glimpse of a fate with which I cannot dare to flatter myself."

"What," said Zara, with some warmth, "has she only given you a glimpse of your fate; she ought to have assured you of it. I did not speak to her in a doubtful manner. She knew the bottom of my heart, for I disclosed it to her. Why did she not save my modesty the blush of telling it you myself? It may be that the pleasure of finding a lost brother so employed all her attention, that she thought little of her friend. It would not have cost her much to have told you that the conquest of your heart is the only happiness I wish for; that I was ready to sacrifice the grandeur I was born to, and every thing else to which I can aspire. An European lady would beliers that she exceeded the bounds of modesty, in making such a confession on her first interview with you; but, thank Heaven, I was born au African, who cannot conceal under falsity and dissimulation the motions of a heart

which adores you. Yes, Ernestus, I love you more than myself; my love took its root the first moment in which I saw you, and it has increased in silence. Be not then astonished

at my sincerity; I sincerely confess to you, that had it been in my power to have extinguished the growing passion in my bosom, I would have for ever kept it secret from you, for my heart has a long time reasoned between the duty I owe to my father, and the love I have conceived for you. Do not take it amiss that I have endeavoured to conquer a passion which my condition and my reason must condemn; these efforts have contributed only to make your triumph the more complete, and my passion the stronger."

· Zara here stopped; and the Colonel, with eyes cast down on the earth to conceal his trouble, not answering her immediately, Zara, with a teuder, but dissatisfied air, said to him," You are surprised at what I have said, and make me no answer; to what must I attribute your silence?"

The Colonel having a little recovered himself, replied::-" Madam, the excess of these favours with which you load me covers me with confusion. How shall I ever be able to convince you of my sense of gratitude? My life will not be sufficient to make you amends. Judge of my sense of your favours by the greatness of them. They will never escape a moment from my memory, and that hand will be for ever dear to me from which I shall receive them."

Though the Colonel's answer was nothing but a plain compliment, it was sufficient to make an enamoured lover believe it was full of the most pleasing tendernesss. Ile endea voured to learn from the eyes of Elvira if he had not said too much; but his lady, on the contrary, was fearful of the suspicions of the deluded Zara, and therefore wished that the Colonel had spoken more tenderly. Zara gave an interpretation to the words of her lover far different from what they could bear, and she believed they discovered a declara. tion full of the strongest love, and a protestation of eternal fidelity. So easily is the credulous heart of the fair imposed on. Their minds are easily persuaded into that they wish for, especially when the heart is the conductor. In this situation the mind is always the dupe of the heart, which leads just where it pleases.

Zara answered the Colonel:-" You owe me nothing; it is I who owe every thing to you, since you accept every thing which I offer. Your acknowledgments are to me an inestimable return, and I shall hereafter consider myself as yours. You have now nothing to do but to take the necessary measures for our departure, and I will precipitately enter into your views. Henceforward I will consider you as the master of my life, my wealth, and my happiness, as you have some time been of my heart. I shall take care to remit by Elvira such money as shall appear necessary, and she will see you every day. As for me I shall not be able to speak to you as often as I could wish, every eye being upon me, and I should overturn all our designs if I should be discovered."

Zara still held her hand to Ernestus, who now embraced it with less timidity than at first, and answered his beautiful mistress:"Your kindness might embolden me to take all those liberties to which the excess of my zeal might carry me; but without violating those sentiments I have for you, suffer me that I always preserve for you that respect owe you."

Zara, charmed with the answer of her lover, replied, smiling:-"I cannot agree that you should show me any particular respect en account of my birth; for that would be contradictory to leve; if at least you are determined to consider me as the daughter of a prince, I order you, in that quality, to love me, and to banish for ever from your manners what may seem more likely to alarm than gratify my tenderness."

"I will be answerable for him," said Elvira, "that he shall obey; I will make it my business; and should he fail in his duties, it shall not be from the want of prayers and entreaties of his sister. But Madam," continued Elvira, you forget that we have been a long time absent; what will your women think?"

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"Let us go," said Zara; "however cruel your advice may be, it is necessary. Adieu Ernestus, you will again soon see your sister, who will bring you news from me.”

"Nothing, Madam, will be more acceptable to me," replied the Colonel, emboldened

by what Elvira had before said to him, "and I shall always receive it with the greatest pleaure."

thoughts, and who feared the consequence of his scruples, said to him:-"My brother, when two hearts are equally smitten, reservedness ought to have no share in their friendship."

The Colonel perceiving the inclination of Elvira, fell upoù one knee, and embraced the hand of Zara.

"Rise Ernestus," said the beautiful Afri

"And I," replied Zara, "shall always feel the greatest happiness in hearing from you, and seeing you myself as often as possible, and that will be to me a happiness which I would purchase at the expence of my life. You will come every morning, under pretence of cultivating the flowers, under my window,can, "your sister has anticipated my desires. and that shall keep me from jealousy. I will There is no more cause for scruple with regard complain of the restraint which prevents me to rank; I am no more the daughter of a sofrom speaking to you, and the hope of its soon vereign, nor you any longer a slave. It is to being at an end shall console me. The pleasure my lover, my intended husband, that I give of seeing you will make me happy in spite of my hand, and love and friendship are equally the barbarous constraint in which the custom strangers to troublesome distinctions. Can of this country compeis me to live. Adieu the union be perfectly complete between two Ernestus, it is time we should part, but I leave bearts, when the one assumes over the other a you with regret. The day will come, and I hope disagreeable superiority which soon or late it is not far distant, when nothing will be able gives cause of odium? Let me therefore ento separate me from him whom I love." treat you, my dear Ernestus, before we separate, that you forget for ever that disparity of station between you and me." (To be continued.)

Zara then tendered her hand to the Colonel, who hesitated whether he should accept it; but Elvira, who was well acquainted with his

KATE KEARNEY OF THE LAKE OF KILARNEY.

THE fatal beauty of the heroine of the Lake of Kilarney is celebrated in song, but there is not the slightest allusion to any of the strong features which marked the mind and misfortunes of this female, whose heart, though one in which all the tender susceptibilities were mature, even to luxuriance, was too much oppressed by feelings of another kind to cherish those of love. If her eye was exquisitely penetrating, the tear which early adversity filled it with, obtruded often enough to quench the flame of its glance; and the spell that is said to have lurked in it, was more calculated to conjure up a spirit of compassion, than one of wild and ungovernable passions.

The tale which we are about to relate, as it is only upon oral record, has a great deal of the fabulous in it, which can be accounted for hy the romantic spirit of the people of Ireland, and the ignorance of that part of them who lived in the interior of the country up

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wards of two centuries ago. It is, however, easy to collect from it, that Kate Kearney lost a father upon whom she doated, and that his loss was the occasion of her despondence and death.

Upon the borders of the most beautiful part of this extensive Lake lived Kate Kearney, with her father: she had been educated under the immediate eye of her parent, a clergyman, and imbibed notions of virtue which were per haps too much tinged with enthusiasm. Her father was a widower some years, and had been in the habit of officiating as clergyman in his neighbourhood; he was of course an object almost of idolatry amongst the hordes, whose minds he succeeded in reducing to a kind of civilization. He possessed a character of the most extraordinary humanity, and bis mind was elevated by inspirations of a mild and comprehensive religion; Le looked as if his thoughts were in the grave, he spoke as if his thoughts were in the heavens!

The relaxations in which his daughter used

Her afflictions were by this time mellowed into a kind of constitutional melancholy, and she still retained the title to which the ex

to indulge, were chiefly music and fishing, and he was in the habit of visiting a small island distant from his habitation about a quarter of a mile. One morning the youngquisiteness of her feelings had given her so lady was alarmed at the delay of her father, who had repaired to the island in his boat at a very early hour; and having waited a considerable while, in much agitation, she determined to go to the island herself and seek him. She immediately ordered her female attendant to prepare her skiff, and upon her arrival at the island, was horror-struck, upon seeing her father's boat lying empty in the midst of it, about five hundred yards from the water. The island appeared as if the waves of an ocean had washed it, several of the trees were levelled to the ground, and every thing had the signs of an agitation which must have been caused by the joint powers of all the elements.

The boat alone seemed to have been uninjured. An oar was at each side, a fishing net lay at the bottom of it, and an old manuscript || which her father was fond of perusing, lay upon one of the seats. In this indescribable state of distraction the afdicted girl rau through every part of the island, calling upon the name of her beloved father, but no answer was returned, and she was carried in a state of insensibility to her boat. These dread. ful circumstances were soon diffused through the country. The poor object of commisseration refused for a long time to take any food, and such were the effects which sorrow had upon her countenance, that she was called by all those who lived near her pateraal dwelling,|| "the Queen of Grief." An elderly lady, who had been in the habits of intimacy with the family, took her into her house, and endeavoured to comfort her. Her efforts were not entirely thrown away-as a fresh wound shrinks back from the hand that would apply a remedy, but by degrees submits to and even requires the means of cure, so a mind under the first impression of misfortune shuns and rejects all arguments of consolation, but at length, if applied with tenderness, calmly and willingly acquiesces in them.

indisputable a claim. At the period of her father's disappearance Kate Kearney was fifteen. There is no proof, or even report, that she was at that time distinguished for a levity which has been ascribed to her by the present panegyrist of her beauty, who has also ascribed cruelty and inconstancy to her. On the contrary, the circumstances which we have related, stamp upon her a character which can never die; filial tend rness is inconsistent with the disgusting levity of a flirt, and it is impossible that she who adored her kindred, could be cruel to her kind.

Three years rolled on, and the fair mourner still had her misery imprinted on her soul. There appeared in the neighbourhood an old woman, who was generally reputed to be a witch; she had done many things of a wonderful description, and to this woman Kate Kearney, who believed that her father was taken away by superuatural means, was resolved to apply. The story goes on thus:-Our heroine was told by the old oracle that her father was yet living, but that the divinity of the Lake, the hoary Killarn, had taken him to his dominions, in order to reward him for his virtues upon earth, that he could again be beheld by his daughter if she visited the bottora of the Lake. She accordingly prepared herself, and after several masses plunged into the water. la a short time she rose above the water, and told those who were waiting in silent expectation, that she had been with her father, from whom she determined to part no more. She immediate y disappeared and was never seen again.

For a long time after this the art of the Lake which the name of Kate Kearney has immortalized, was distinguished by certain solemn ceremonials, which showed the admiration and the superstition of the clans which inhabited its banks.

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