Twist-ribbons, flowers, gauze, catguts,

fringe".

He was proceeding, when sir Gabriel angrily vociferated" Stop, stop, for Heaven's sake!"

"What is the amount, Jack? that is all I want to know."

"Sixteen pounds seventeen shillings and ninepence three farthings!" holloed out Jack, as if calling to a man at the mast head; "more than one of my halfyearly payments, by Jericho!"

The lady declared the thing impossible; but Jack held the fatal paper before her eyes, and she was silenced.

"Produce your money," said sir Ga

briel.

Miss Wronghead declared her poverty; "she had no money," which avowal Jack, judging from his experience with his brother, pronounced a hoax; but it was, in the present instance, proved to be a stubborn fact.

Sir Gabriel therefore advanced the

sum,

sum, swearing it should be deducted from her next quarterly allowance.

"And now, Mr. Facetious, pray tell us what Mr. Jack Wronghead is indebted to the same James Twist ?" said Miss Clementina Henrietta Maria Wronghead, not exactly in the feminine tones so lately applauded and recommended.

"Nothing, most amiable dulcinea, nothing," replied Jack, approaching his sister, and profoundly bowing before her: "it becomes not a British sailor to strut in borrowed plumes-I wear nothing that is not my own."

"Bravo, my lad!" cried sir Gabriel ; "I thank God I have one honest heart in my family; and as you just now very imprudently cleared yourself of all your cash, here are ten pounds for you, to keep you in gloves till pay day comes round."

Jack thanked his father with a warmth which argued that something more than mere self-interest was touched within him-

H 4

him-as if he loved the praise more than the reward. Then bounding away, at the command of the baronet, to pay his sister's bill, could not help, for the soul of him, sharing his ten pounds with poor James Twist-Oh, the extravagant prodigal!

CHAP.

CHAPTER XI.

A HEAVY storm of wind and rain seemed to threaten Mrs. Mary's detention at the Hall for the rest of the day, especially as Jack announced, on his return from the village, the deplorable state of the roads.

Sir Gabriel kindly urged his sister's remaining where she was, and offered to dispatch a servant to inform Mr. Knowlesdon of the arrangement.

Miss Patty suggested the propriety of inviting that gentleman to join the social circle.

The baronet did not by any means see the necessity of informing a brother he should be welcome at a brother's house, or why the solicitor should be required

to encounter the rough elements, from which it was deemed kind to rescue Mrs. Mary; but as he invariably obliged every body, whenever he possibly could, he promised to make the desired addenda. But Mrs. Mary was not found very accommodating-she must return home. Why, Mary, what have you to do at home? You single women are so independent!"

66

Mrs. Mary smiled, as her eye fell on the supine figure of the speaker, as she thought upon her freedom from care, her unfettered free will-as she thought upon her own occupied life. But she only replied by repeating the necessity for her returning home.

Lady Wronghead pressed the inquiry no further in fact, she was not willing to urge a succinct enumeration of Mrs. Knowlesdon's home claims-the image of Mrs. Rachael Wronghead, the sick, feeble, petulant invalid, never presented itself without irritating recollections.

Perhaps