cious shark approaching;-the mother who sees the only hope of her life expiring before her eyes;-all these feel deeply, but their suffering is faint when compared with the utter despair of the deformed, orphaned-Gilbert Manners!

From the first hour of Sedley's arrival at Rossfirth, Gilbert had felt an unaccountable dislike towards him; but now, when he found that he had stepped between him and the joy of his whole life, a hatred such as no nature but his could conceive, entered his heart.

He had determined to ascertain his fate from Teresa's own lips, and had sought her shortly before dinner. He found her alone in the same conservatory which, the day before, had been the scene of so different an interview. As he entered, he pronounced her name, and there was something so hollow and mournful in his voice, that Teresa started round, and gazed anxiously on his countenance.

His features were calm, but his face was of an unearthly paleness, and his lips were strongly comprest. He fixed his eyes steadily on Teresa's

countenance, and her's quailed beneath that glance, and a sorrowful foreboding fell upon her heart. Oh! what unutterable sufferingwhat withering grief did those eyes express!

"Teresa," he said, in a husky, unnatural voice, "I will not trouble you with many questions. Answer me one truly, as you value the love of Heaven-and that one will content me."

He paused, and his emotion nearly overpowered him; his eyes were cast to the ground for an instant, and his lip quivered with agony.

Teresa noted these signs of suffering, and a suspicion of the sad truth flashed across her brain. At length he raised his eyes and fixed them once more on Teresa's face, as he said, in a voice almost inarticulate from agitation,

"Is it true that you love Sedley?"

Teresa could not speak, and trembled violently. "Answer me," he continued fiercely, "would you trifle with my agony, and do you think that, because I am hideous to look upon, I may be tortured with impunity?"

Teresa was terrified to the utmost degree, and replied hurriedly,

“Oh! yes—I do love him-I have long loved him."

For one moment Gilbert Manners' features worked convulsively, and tears, wrung from him by acute anguish, stood in his eyes; then he caught one of Teresa's hands, pressed it to his cold lips, and fled from the conservatory. Teresa was some time before she recovered her alarm, and then pity for this unfortunate youth absorbed all her feelings.

At length she left the conservatory, and went to her room to dress for dinner. But what was

her surprise on descending to the drawing-room, to find Gilbert Manners seated beside Charlotte Beverly, talking to her calmly and quietly!

She felt inexpressibly relieved at this sight, and trusted that, the first violence of his grief having abated, he had seen the uselessness of yielding to despair, and had resolved to bear his trial like a man.

But when the fearful storm came on, Teresa

forgot every thing but her fears. She was singularly affected by thunder, and, besides frightening, it made her positively ill. She had not, therefore, observed the absence of Gilbert Manners, when all the other gentlemen came from the dining-room.

At length the furious war of the elements ceased, and the moon looked down in pure and cloudless majesty from the calm heavens. All nature smiled as though no storm had ever disturbed its beauty, and the only sound abroad was caused by the dripping of the rain from the branches of trees. News was brought to Rossfirth that a large vessel had been cast ashore, and several of the company expressed a wish to see the wreck that night.

During its discussion, Gilbert Manners entered the drawing-room, and some of the gentlemen proposed that he should accompany them down. to the shore. He consented, and the whole party, including Sedley, departed on their expedition.

They soon reached the spot where the vessel

was stranded; no lives had been lost, but she was a complete wreck. After some time passed in conversation on the subject, they proposed returning to Rossfirth, and were soon in motion. Sedley was engaged in conversation with one of the sailors belonging to the vessel, and he called to Gilbert, that he, also, might hear the man's account of the shipwreck.

By the time they had ceased their conference, the rest of the party were out of sight, and Sedley and Gilbert walked slowly homewards.

Sedley was silent for some time. He was contemplating the sublime spectacle offered by the sea, still chafing and heaving, as though its fury were not yet hushed. The spray glittered brightly in the moonshine, and the whole surface of the water was illumined by the same cold, pale light.

Far in the distance the waves might be seen rearing their angry crests, and a low, sullen war was still heard from the vast body of the

ocean.

Sedley's mind was tranquil and calm; his