patted the wan and transparent hand of Zelie, as it hung listlessly beside her on the couch.

"I beg your pardon, my lord," she cried, reddening, and withdrawing her own.

"By no manner of means, divine Zelie!" and he extended his. "Come, what are you afraid of? I am ever ready to take beauty and talent by the hand, eh? Mrs. Jester, he he! he! ha ha! ha!"

"I am sure you are, my lord," curtseyed the chaperon; and then, to please his lordship, she professed to have lost her knittingneedle, and went in search of another.

Scarcely had the door closed, when Lord Gripeall, who for some minutes had been sitting, in a most dégagé manner, with his cheap but shining boots, and their very pointed toes, one on the fender, and the other on the hob (while he took several pinches of inferior snuff from a gaudy but trumpery box), suddenly rose, and threw himself on the sofa beside the pale and shrinking Zelie.

"Come, don't be so shy, my dear,” he said, extending his hand. "I wish to be your friend; I do, upon my honour. Now, why can't you believe me? I'm in love with you —I am, by Jupiter! You've made a conquest of me, and I'm come to throw myself at your feet."

Zelie looked up; the hideous old miser had twisted round his crooked neck to look into her face, as she stooped to hide it in her hands. He looked so ineffably hideous and wicked, that she uttered a faint scream, whether by accident or design we know not. But he fell on both his knees before her, and caught hold of her robe as she tried to rise, partly to detain her, partly to preserve his

balance.

At this moment the door opened, and in rushed De Villeneuve, booted, spurred, and splashed, his riding-whip in his hand. Zelie rose to fly into his arms, but, weak from recent illness, the excitement overcame her, and she

sank fainting on her sofa. Old Gripeall tried to rise, but the hinges of his knees were not pliant; after two or three efforts he fell back on the rug.

De Villeneuve haughtily assisted him to rise, rung for Mrs. Chester to attend Zelie, and proudly requested his lordship to follow him into the next room, as he wished to have a private conversation with him.

The earl tottered after him on his spindle shanks, feeling any thing but pleased at the result of his genuflections.

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Now," said De Villeneuve, haughtily motioning him to a seat, taking one himself, and tapping his boot with his ridingwhip, "what has your lordship to say to me?" "I......Oh!....ah!....hem! Why, nothing particular; I wouldn't detain you, by any manner of means. I'm very glad to see

you back again, Count-It is....."

66

eh ?"

Quite an unexpected pleasure, my lord

66

Quite! I......you......ah......hem! I'll not intrude upon you any longer. Don't stand on any ceremony with me. Is my fellow there?" and he nervously turned his crooked neck in its light blue stock to the window, "is my fellow there?"

"I should think not, nor any where else," sneered De Villeneuve, still tapping his boot. He seemed resolved not to let the earl lose sight of his smart but switching horsewhip.

"Well, adieu! don't move, don't stand on any ceremony-au revoir."

"Au revoir, indeed! My lord, I waive all ceremony, as you request it; and since the native temerity of your lordship's nature prevents your explaining to the brother the unexpected declaration you were evidently making to the sister, I (forgive me, you begged me to stand on no ceremony) I insist.." And he raised his voice till the earl trembled and

grew of a pale violet tint "I insist on knowing your intentions, and if they are not

what they ought to be towards my sister, I insist on prompt - nay, immediate satisfac

tion......"

-I

“I....he...she....him him - I was only indulging in a little innocent amusement — he, he, he! ha, ha !—eh ?”

"No more! no more!" almost shouted De Villeneuve, stalking up to him, and coming so close to him, that the coarse auburn curls of his lordship's wig, as he trembled with sudden terror, touched the silver head of De Villeneuve's whip. "No more of that! What you call innocent amusement, I call insolent familiarity. Unless you knelt to my sister to implore her hand, you have insulted her, and therefore me. That insult must be washed out in the blood of one or both of us; and I trust that you will immediately prepare to

meet me."

"Blood! washed out in blood!" Oh! how

the old heart of Gripeall trembled! ،، You have not heard me out, Count," he said, coax