Toronto cliffs are distinguished. At first, in darkness of soul, he suffered his head to drop upon a rock, and closed his eyes; then forgetting himself, started up, and as he thought of Lady Hester-married-wrung his hands and groaned. Afterwards he shed tears, as he looked over the wide spread lake, and saw the distant vessel which contained his outlawed father and his homeless sister.

Imagining himself to be perfectly alone he did not restrain in the least the outward expression of his feelings, but found a relief in giving them free vent; when he grew calmer, he drew the parts of a flute from his pocket, screwed them together, with a sigh raised the instrument to his lips, and played upon it the air of a song which had been composed by Lady Hester during his first acquaintance with her, and which he had often sang to the unfortunate Lucy. The notes charmed him, and something of a fanciful delight stole over his senses.

Withdrawing the flute from his lips, at the close of a third repetition of the air, he surveyed the scene before him, and several exquisite descriptions of such objects as he beheld, in the poets of his own country, occurred to his memory.

Facing him was the western horizon with all its magnificent clouds, where the sun had a few minutes before disappeared; nearly in the same direction were shores covered to the water's edge with majestic woods, whose frequent openings revealed the white houses of flourishing settlers from Europe. Golden light, reflected by the transparent water, was slowly retreating from that cheering part of the picture, and was becoming replaced by tender and varied shadows little less beautiful.

"There are homes of happiness!" said Clinton, as he watched, with an eye expressive of many sorrowful regrets, such as had not been accustomed to find a lodgement in his breast, the lights that cheerfully twinkled among the darker woods; " but I-and those dear to me—are wanderers!" Then his glance went farther out on the prospect

"Wandering among the lawny islands fair,

Whose blossomy forests starred the shadowy deep."

Those islands slept in tranquil shade on their own mirrored resemblances, for the lake was so clear that every where it gave accurate reflections of the objects on its surface.

Ah," said Clinton, "I could dream now of a bower of love on one of yonder lovely islands-no society but the ancient trees and their denizens, and the beloved object-what would be the censure of the world to us there? She, whose name is set in diamonds in my soul, should then never weep again-she should never be again the slave of a foul tyrant!"

A dew broke out on his forehead-wild ideas were brooding in his mind, and he pronounced, in impassioned accents, some lines of a rhapsodist of poetry who had been bewildered like himself with ungoverned feelings of the heart and fancy.

The breeze from the lake had grown brisker as the evening advanced, and it was just at the present moment that it bore toward Clinton a scarf, which dropped nearly beside his feet. He looked along the cliffs, on the side where the article had been buoyed along, and saw two ladies at some distance who were proceeding with slow steps toward the town. He instantly took up the scarf,

and followed them with it, but when he had gone some way he stopped-the figures of the ladies were those of Mrs. Markham and Lady Hester. He directly suspected that they had witnessed his strange reverie-if so, Lady Hester was in possession of the present state of his feelings; but the distance from the place where he had been sitting corrected this idea. His heart throbbed with mingled and intense emotions as he approached her-she was just looking around for the stray article.

"Madam," said he; she started, and that trembling intonation of voice went directly to her heart. "This scarf, I believe, is yours. The wind conveyed it to my feet, and I am happy in the opportunity of restoring it to its owner."

"I thank you, Mr. Clinton," said she, very softly, and without looking at him.

At that instant Mrs. Markham felt the left hand of Lady Hester press heavy on her arm; she perceived also. that her young friend trembled, and on looking in her face, saw her eyelids sinking with faintness, and her lips turning white. Clinton also observed these symptoms of agitation, and again he triumphed inwardly with a bitter joy.

Presently the ladies rested on a seat, and Clinton stood by the side of Mrs. Markham conversing with her on the beauties of the view, his manner combining the most gentlemanly ease and gracefulness, with that modest distance suitable to his circumstances.

"This evening has really been most enchanting," said he, after some previous talk; " one regrets to see it fade." He sighed, and glancing toward Lady Hester repeated expressively

"Yet even then, while peace was singing

Her halcyon song o'er land and sea,

Tho' joy and hope to others bringing,

She only brought new tears to me.'

Such hours-such scenes as this-should not be profaned by gloom. It was for your clear and serene spirits, ladies, that such were made," he added, with an air of gallantry.

Lady Hester arose as he said this; her self-command, great as it usually was, had nearly forsaken her; she felt unable to bear more, and asked Mrs. Markham if she was willing to proceed, as night was setting in.

"For a moment longer let me detain you," said Clinton, going to the side of Lady Hester, and pointing over the lake. "Observe that remarkable high-land in the distance, how boldly and beautifully it is defined against that soft sky-and those refractions of the lake at different parts, how lovely and singular they are.”

Lady Hester replied to his remarks on the scenery in monosyllables, and carefully avoided meeting his eye.

Mrs. Markham was so much pleased with the young man that she would have asked him to walk with them into Toronto, had she not again seen too visibly impressed on Lady Hester's face, the pain of mind she was enduring.

"We shall hardly get home before it is quite dark, my dear," said Mrs. Markham, rising and drawing her shawl more over her shoulders. She took Lady Hester's arm; "We have loitered much too long here, you have some fatigue you know, my dear, to bear to-morrow. Mr. Clinton, you have heard I suppose at what hour the packet will leave Toronto?"

“Do you mean, madam, the vessel in which I am to sail?"

66

Yes, that one which the Governor has been so busy fitting out for the capture of this Pirate whom all the folks are talking about."

"No, I have not received any notice to day from his Excellency, to acquaint me with the time proposed for setting out; indeed I have not been in the town since morning."

"Then you have not heard the news of the Pirate, with which the whole town is already ringing from one end to the other?"

"What news, madam?" said Clinton, eagerly. -I have heard none!"

"No

"It was reported to the Governor, while he was sitting at his wine after dinner, that a brig had been plundered close to the harbour last night by the Pirate's men, and that he himself had been seen on the beach to day in disguise."

“Indeed!” exclaimed Clinton. "And his Excellency is satisfied of the truth of the report?"

"O, perfectly; but, more than all, it is said that the pirates are really in the harbour now, under a false appearance. The Governor intends as soon as it is dark to-night, to make a private scrutiny, and, if he discovers nothing, you will be called on to join the bold band who are engaged to search for the privateers, at ten o'clock next forenoon."

"I shall be quite ready," said Clinton.

"I wish you less difficulty and danger with your enterprise than I fear you will have-and good weather too," said Mrs. Markham; "the water and the sky