seems to me that Pennington is in love with Rosina, Rosina with Huntley, Huntley with Hannah, and Mr. Russell, with-which of the two sisters I am not quite sure.”

"As if there could be a doubt!-That is, if he be in love at all, which, really, I can hardly imagine."

"And why not? He is still a young man.”

"His habits seemed so fixed-And what hindered his stepping forward before, when he had the field to himself?"

66

Ah, Fanny, that we must account for on the principle of opposition. That we may have, we won't have, and that we can't have, we will have. Till Huntley came, Mr. Russell thought he might have Hannah any day he chose to ask her, and so he never asked her till it was too late."

"I think he would not be too late now," cried Mrs. Good. "I will lay you any wager—” "My dear, I never lay wagers."

"Well!-we shall see."

66

Yes," said Mr. Good, as he deliberately collected the fragments of the last biscuit; "time" will shew! We shall see ;-we shall see!"

CHAPTER XI.

NEW LIGHTS.

WHATEVER doubt might be felt as to the nature of Mr. Russell's interest in Hannah Wellford, the depth of it admitted none. He was also very uneasy at having been the cause of Huntley's intimacy with the Wellford family, while so little was known of his character. Every one seemed to take him on trust; and Mr. Russell was almost provoked with Mrs. Wellford for relying with such easiness on his having been the introducer, as a gage for Huntley's honour. He had, indeed, early satisfied some compunctious visitings on this score by writing a letter of inquiry to his cousin Frank; but after vainly expecting an answer for several weeks, he learnt that Frank had set off some time before on a tour through Switzerland ere his letter could have reached him; and Huntley's increasing intimacy with the Wellfords, in the mean

VOL. II.

H

while, had rendered it more difficult and invidious to put them on their guard; while greater opportunities of judging of his habits and opinions, made the anxious vicar still more suspicious that much which was taken for granted, existed only on the surface. These were the doubts and difficulties which had lately withheld him from the White Cottage, where he had not quite temper enough to behold Huntley familiarly established.

On the morning after Lady Worral's tea party, Mr. Russell was not a little pleased by the receipt of a thick packet from his cousin Frank. "All suspicions will at length be banished or confirmed," thought he, as he tore off the envelope. The young artist's letter was as follows:

66 DEAR RUSSELL,

"Greek Street, September 25th.

"Only two days returned from a most enchanting three months' ramble which has enriched my portfolio with sketches innumerable, and my memory with subjects for many a dream

"On summer eve by haunted stream."

"Had you accompanied me, knapsack on shoul

der, you would certainly have laughed, when scenes more beautiful than my imagination had ever conceived, made me dance and almost shout with ecstasy; and as I can't bear to be ridiculed when the fit is on me, it is lucky that you were not within sight and earshot. So here is a letter from you that has been lying on my writing table ever since June 12th! With regard to this young Huntley you have written to me about, I suppose by this time you can say

"He has come, he is gone; we have met,

And may meet, perhaps, never again; "

or at any rate you have had abundant time to make out his character for yourself, so that any attempt to delineate it now, will be useless. A fascinating young fellow he certainly is, as of course you have discovered; and though rather lax in some of his notions, by no means so bad as to run away with any of the lambkins of your little flockprovided papa and mamma keep a prudent lookout. In short, the only "

"September 28th.

"I was interrupted here by a friend, who carried me off to see a capital Guido just imported.

A thousand things have occupied me since, and among others, I have called on Mrs. Huntley. Perhaps you know Huntley has a mother and sister-the latter, a charming creature, fair, gentle, and elegant. From them, I learnt that Huntley is still at Summerfield; and what keeps him so long in such an obscure place, they can only guess, as he never favours them with very communicative letters. Emmeline, however, (that is his sister,) suspects there is some attachment in the case; as he has sent to her for music, Italian books, and I know not what besides, all evidently for female accommodation. She says she hopes it may be so, as she thinks Arthur would be a better and a happier man if he were united to a wife whom he thoroughly esteemed as well as loved. And as there thus appears some probability that he actually does meditate stealing one of your lambkins, I may as well tell you all I know of him from first to last, of which information you can then make what use seemeth good. To tell the truth, I began this sheet intending to dismiss the matter in a brace of sentences, and to devote the remaining space to a rapturous description of the Vaudois. But having broken the