e word upon which hung all my fortune. At length her
hand, which I scarcely held within my own, was gently withdrawn. She
lifted it to her eyes, but still was silent.

"Enough," said I, "I seek not to pain you more. The daring ambition that
prompted me to love you, has met its heaviest retribution. Farewell,
--You, Lady Jane, have nothing to reproach yourself with--You never
encouraged, you never deceived me. I, and I alone have been to blame,
and mine must be the suffering. Adieu, then once more, and now for
ever."

She turned slowly round, and as the handkerchief fell from her hand,--her
features were pale as marble,--I saw that she was endeavouring to speak,
but could not; and at length, as the colour came slowly back to her
cheek, her lips moved, and just as I leaned forward, with a beating heart
to hear, her sister came running forward, and suddenly checked herself in
her career, as she said, laughingly,--

"Mille pardons, Jane, but his Excellency must take another occasion to
explain the quadruple alliance, for mamma has been waiting in the
carriage these ten minutes."

I followed them to the door, placed them in the carriage, and was turning
again towards the house, when Lady Callonby said--

"Oh, Mr. Lorrequer, we count upon you--you must not desert us."

I muttered something about not feeling well.

"And then, perhaps, the Greek loan is engaging your attention," said
Catherine; "or, mayhap, some reciprocity treaty is not prospering."

The malice of this last sally told, for Jane blushed deeply, and I felt
overwhelmed with confusion.

"But pray come--the drive will do you good."

"Your ladyship will, I am certain, excuse"--

Just as I had got so far, I caught Lady Jane's eye, for the first time
since we had left the drawing-room. What I read there, I could not, for
the life of me, say; but, instead of finishing my sentence, I got into
the carriage, and drove off, very much to the surprise of Lady Callonby,
who, never having studied magnetism, knew very little the cause of my
sudden recovery.

The thrill of hope that shot through my heart succeeding so rapidly the
dark gloom of my despairing thoughts, buoyed me up, and while I whispered
to myself, "all may not yet be lost," I summoned my best energies to my
aid. Luckily for me, I was better qualified to act as cicerone in a
gallery than as a guide in a green-house; and with the confidence that
knowledge of a subject ever inspires, I rattled