"Oh God!" said he, with grateful fervour, "I thank thee!" while tears of parental joy rolled down his flushed face. "But," continued he, " my Adeliza, why are you up at this very unusual hour?Ah! what paper is that you hold? Is it for me? Wherefore are you so pale, my Believe me, I bid defiance to fear, knowing there is no bad news of my George, and trusting, as I now do, that the dear fellow is well."

child?

Captain Pembroke read the letter with a countenance calm and unaltered; then, turning to his daughter, and tenderly taking her hand

Weep not," said he, " my child; there is in this summons no cause of grief."

"Oh Sir!” replied Adeliza, in plaintive accents, you cannot think, indeed, it is so very trivial a thing to part with

(Oh Heavens, perhaps for ever!) so indulgent, so excellent a parent!—and for what?"

HONOUR, my love, demands this sacrifice; neither ought I, nor will I repine: it would be useless, as well as unmanly. My noble child would not surely have added to her father's name, the contemptible appellation of coward! HONOUR, I say, Adeliza, is a sacred tie that aids and strengthens virtue:-should we not then, even where a heavy sacrifice is requisite, invariably follow, and strictly adhere to its steady and pure dictates ?-Nor will I now shrink from what it demands, though it parts me from all I hold dear on earth. This letter, Adeliza, orders me to Africa: you know we expected such would be the case; and you I look forward to as the comforter, the supporter of your mother."

"Dear

"Dear Sir, believe me, you shall not be disappointed in your hopes; I will endeavour to be all you wish: nor shall another repining word escape my lips, let my heart bleed inwardly as it will."

There spoke my own heroic daughter, my firm-minded Adeliza! Would to Heaven your dear mother was acquainted with this, to her, distressing business! Much I dread the effect it may have on her susceptible heart; but, depending, as I do, on your vigilant and anxious endeavours to console her, half my apprehensions are vanished, and I will hope the best. It becomes me to be the unwelcome messenger of this news myself; and, in the meantime, do you, my Adeliza, see that my clothes are packed up; for, as soon as morning dawns, I must be offGood night! God bless you!"

Mrs. Pembroke received the intelligence of her husband's departure with every appearance of the most impassioned grief; nor could any arguments he could make use of, in any degree reconcile her to (as she termed it) her cruel and relentless fate. Captain Pembroke was extremely distressed; but there was little time either for reflection, or even consolation, for the day had already begun to break. Adeliza had, with an aching heart, made all the necessary preparations and arrangements for her father's departure, and now called Rampart, a faithful creature, grown grey in her father's service, to see if all the military parts of his dress were right, and at the same time, to give him many strict charges to take all the care in his power of his master. The old soldier entered the room with a dejected countenance.

"I am almost ashamed," said he, bow ing, my dear young lady, to face you."

Why so, Rampart?" said Adeliza, in

an encouraging accent.

"If you were not kindness and goodness itself," answered he, " you would despise me, and never again speak to me, much less with such sweetness. On my soul, I do think you must hate me for a coward! Oh fie!-my womanish behaviour last night!-had it not been for that, I might have died without a stain on my character; but now I deserve to be branded as a poltroon!”

"Have no fears on that head, my worthy old friend," said Adeliza; "nor, I beg of you, distress yourself with the idea of being despised. Your courage, Rampart, has often been tried, and F have heard my father praise your gallant conduct: be but