t I felt an--a--a--in fact, I cannot describe it. Those
who were present observed that he and I resembled each other very much,
and indeed the resemblance struck myself very forcibly."

"Troth, and if he resembled you, miss, I'm not surprised that Lady Emily
fell in love with him."

"But how did you come to hear all this, Alice?" asked Lucy with a good
deal of anxiety.

"Why, miss, there's a cousin of my own maid to Mrs. Palmer, and you
may remember the evenin' you gave me lave to spend with her. She gave
a party on the same evenin' and Dandy was there. I think I never looked
better; I had on my new stays, and my hair was done up Grecian. Any way,
I wasn't the worst of them."

"I am fatigued, Alice," said Lucy; "make your narrative as short as you
can."

"I haven't much to add to it now, miss," she replied. "It was observed
that Lady Emily's eyes and his were never off one another. She refused,
it seems, to dance with some major that's a great lord in the regiment,
and danced with Mr. Roberts afterwards. He brought her down to supper,
too, and sat beside her, and you know what that looks like."

Lucy paused, and seemed as if anxious about something, but at length
asked,

"Do you know, Alice, was he there?"

"No, miss," replied the maid; "Dandy tells me he goes to no great
parties at all, he only dines where there's a few. But, indeed, by all
accounts he's very unhappy."

"What do you mean by all accounts," asked Lucy, a little startled.

"Why, Dandy, miss; so he tells me."

"Poor Alice!" exclaimed Lucy, looking benignantly upon her. "I did not
think, Alice, that any conversation could have for a moment won me from
the painful state of mind in which I entered the room. Aid me me now
to my bedchamber. I must lie down, for I feel that I should endeavor to
recruit my strength some way. If I could sleep, I should be probably the
better for it; but, alas, Alice, you need not be told that misery and
despair are wretched bedfellows."

"Don't say despair," replied Alice; "remember there's a good God above
us, who can do better for us than ever we can for ourselves. Trust in
him. Who knows but he's only trying you; and severely tried you are, my
darlin' mistress."

Whilst uttering the last words, the affectionate creature's eyes
filled with tears. She rose, however, and having assisted Lucy to
her sleeping-room, helped to undress her, then fixed her with tender
assiduity in her bed, where, in a few minutes, exhau