of admiration at its superior grandeur! and wishing to conceal from Charles the sudden throb that beat within her breast, she cast her eyes on the ground. He pressed his lips to her hand, and the last glance he got of her face plainly indicated, by the blushes with which it was mixed, what struggle and strife of passion was passing within her breast.

CHAPTER XVI.

She will find him by star-light.

Here she comes; and her passion ends the play.
SHAKSPEARE.

THE good spirits Caroline showed at dinner, quite gladdened the heart of the admiral. He would not again whisper his suspicions. He had, during Caroline's absence, taken an opportunity to testify how much both he and his child were indebted to Harriet Foote. The, evening was passed away in a very agreeable manner; but the admiral was a man of business; and since there was no company that evening, nor any engagement to be fulfilled, nor any play that was worth seeing to go to, he proposed to Caroline that, during the remainder of their

stay in town, she should renew her study of Botany. She was perfectly agreeable, provided a good teacher, who knew both the theory and practice of the science, could be got in

town.

"I shall advertise," replied the admiral," for one."

Now the admiral was a great botanist, and he instantly drew up the most flaming advertisement ever a compositor had among his hands. Caroline of course approved of it.

To have opposed a single expression it contained, would have only drawn a sigh from papa's heart at the ignorance of his child; for to sheer ignorance he attributed every opinion that differed from his own.

Caroline was as quick at invention, as the obstacles to her meeting Charles were great. She bethought herself of another plot. Fearless, in the strength

of her innocence and the purity of her esteem for this lieutenant, she could not give description to her feelings since she saw him this afternoon. She now resolved to be upsides with papa, and to have her own botanist. It was one of those grand resolves a good mind, in a just cause, decides upon with a rapidity, and executes with a firmness, which dazzle the weak minds of the artful, the timid, or the wavering fair.

She wrote instantly to Charles the plan papa had formed; and sent, by way of postscript to her note, as far as her recollection could serve, a copy of the admiral's advertisement, and advised Charles to provide a professional disguise, to assume some other name and title, and advertise himself next day as "a gentleman (who) would be happy to devote some of his leisure hours to conduct the studies of a pupil

in botany;" and the letter was dispatched to him by Foote that very night.

He was thrown into a very strange dilemma by this fresh proof of Caroline's esteem and quickness of contrivance. He hesitated, and resolved, and hesitated again; and at length he opened his writing-desk to assure Miss Springfield of his willingness to follow any measure she might propose for pleasurable amusement; but still he was suspended between writing that "he would close with her proposal, and begged she would allow him to refuse or decline being a partner in so venturesome a scheme, lest both might be discovered or betrayed, and his sweet Caroline might incur her father's displeasure." However, he at length wrote her that" he should comply with her wishes, and would that night write an advertisement which to-morrow he