h a glass or two of whisky, saw not the
nobility of blood through her disguise, and accosted the daughter of
a hundred sires as he would have done a ewe-milker. Miss Mowbray
remonstrated--her companion screamed--up came cousin Francis with a
fowlingpiece on his shoulder, and soon put the sylvan to flight.

"This was the beginning of an acquaintance, which had gone great
lengths before I found it out. The fair Clara, it seems, found it
safer to roam in the woods with an escort than alone, and my
studious and sentimental relative was almost her constant companion.
At their age, it was likely that some time might pass ere they came
to understand each other; but full confidence and intimacy was
established between them ere I heard of their amour.

"And here, Harry, I must pause till next morning, and send you the
conclusion under a separate cover. The rap which I had over the
elbow the other day, is still tingling at the end of my fingers, and
you must not be critical with my manuscript."

CHAPTER VII.

LETTER CONTINUED.

--------Must I then ravel out
My weaved-up follies?--------

SHAKSPEARE.

"I resume my pen, Harry, to mention, without attempting to describe
my surprise, that Francis, compelled by circumstances, made me the
confidant of his love-intrigue. My grave cousin in love, and very
much in the mind of approaching the perilous verge of clandestine
marriage--he who used every now and then, not much to the
improvement of our cordial regard, to lecture me upon filial duty,
just upon the point of slipping the bridle himself! I could not for
my life tell whether surprise, or a feeling of mischievous
satisfaction, was predominant. I tried to talk to him as he used to
talk to me; but I had not the gift of persuasion, or he the power of
understanding the words of wisdom. He insisted our situation was
different--that his unhappy birth, as he termed it, freed him at
least from dependence on his father's absolute will--that he had, by
bequest from some relative of his mother, a moderate competence,
which Miss Mowbray had consented to share with him; in fine, that he
desired not my counsel but my assistance. A moment's consideration
convinced me, that I should be unkind, not to him only, but to
myself, unless I gave him all the backing I could in this his most
dutifu