, enable her to carry on the game a little longer.
I was nearly taken in myself, but an intimacy with her cousin, who hates
her, gave me a knowledge of the truth. She still keeps her carriage,
and appears to be rolling in wealth, but she has sold her diamonds and
wears paste. And that plain young person on the other side of her has
money, and knows the value of it. She requires rent-roll for rent-roll,
and instead of referring you to her father and mother, the little minx
refers you to her lawyer and man of business. Ugly as she is, I would
have sacrificed myself; but she treated me in that way, and upon my soul
I was not very sorry for it, for she is dear at any price, and I have
since rejoiced at my want of success."

"Who is that elderly gentleman with such snow-white hair?" I inquired.

"That," replied my companion, "nobody exactly knows, but I have my idea.
I think," said he, lowering his voice to a whisper, "that he is a
Catholic priest, or a Jesuit, perhaps, and a partisan of the house of
Stuart. I have my reasons for supposing so, and this I am sure of,
which is, that he is closely watched by the emissaries of government."

You may remember, Madam, how at that time the country was disturbed by
the landing of the Pretender in the summer of the year before, and the
great successes which he had met with, and that the Duke of Cumberland
had returned from the army in the Low Countries, and had marched to
Scotland.

"Has there been any intelligence from Scotland relative to the movements
of the armies?" I inquired.

"We have heard that the Pretender had abandoned the siege of Fort
William, but nothing more; and how far the report is true, it is hard to
say. You military men must naturally have a war one way or the other,"
said my companion, in a careless manner.

"As to the fighting part of the question," I replied, "I should feel it
a matter of great indifference which side I fought for, as the claim of
both parties is a matter of mere opinion."

"Indeed," he said; "and what may be your opinion?"

"I have none. I think the claims of both parties equal. The house of
Stuart lost the throne of England on account of its religion--that of
Hanover has been called to the throne for the same cause. The adherents
of both are numerous at the present moment; and it does not follow,
because the house of Hanover has the strongest party, that the house of
Stuart should not uphold its cause while there is a chanc