the letter of Harriet to read."

After first hastily running over its contents, the lady commenced the
fulfilment of her part of the engagement.

"Frederick has been so much engrossed of late with his own affairs, that
he has forgotten there is such a creature in existence as his sister, or,
indeed, any one else but a Miss Emily Moseley, and consequently I have
been unable to fulfil my promise of making you a visit, for want of a
proper escort, and--and--perhaps some other considerations, not worth
mentioning in a letter I know you will read to the earl.

"Yes, my dear cousin, Frederick Denbigh has supplicated the daughter of a
country baronet to become a duchess; and, hear it, ye marriage-seeking
nymphs and marriage-making dames! has supplicated in vain!

"I confess to you, when the thing was first in agitation, my aristocratic
blood roused itself a little at the anticipated connexion; but finding on
examination that Sir Edward was of no doubtful lineage, and that the blood
of the Chattertons runs in his veins, and finding the young lady
everything I could wish in a sister, my scruples soon disappeared, with
the folly that engendered them.

"There was no necessity for any alarm, for the lady very decidedly refused
the honor offered her by Derwent, and what makes the matter worse, refused
the solicitations of his sister also.

"I have fifty times been surprised at my own condescension, and to this
moment am at a loss to know whether it was to the lady's worth, my
brother's happiness, or the Chatterton blood, that I finally yielded.
Heigho! this Chatterton is certainly much too handsome for a man; but I
forget you have never seen him." (Here an arch smile stole over the
features of the listener, as his sister continued)--"To return to my
narration, I had half a mind to send for a Miss Harris there is here, to
learn the most approved fashion of a lady preferring a suit, but as fame
said she was just now practising on a certain hero ycleped Captain Jarvis,
heir to Sir Timo of that name, it struck me her system might be rather too
abrupt, so I was fain to adopt the best plan--that of trusting to nature
and my own feelings for words.

"Nobility is certainly a very pretty thing (for those who have it), but I
would defy the old Margravine of ---- to keep up the semblance of
superiority with Emily Moseley. She is so very natural, so very beautiful,
and withal at times a little arch, that one is afraid to set up any othe