dies, ah, Jessy, think how dreadful will be his fate, when the victims whom his base arts have sent to ar early grave shall meet in terrible array against him! " -then, Jessy, and not till then, will his heart be open to remorse, and feel that he has merited the bitter thorn of compunction!

CHAPTER XIII.

"Do you remember the last sweet tone
Of this dear harp, now broken?
Do you remember the days long flown
Since last that tone was spoken?
Oh! often at night it came like the light

Of some angel, earthward flying,

Whose heavenly wings had touch'd the strings,

And soften'd the sound with her sighing."

JESSY had reclined her head on the table to conceal her fast-flowing tears from the observation of her fair monitor, and, during the last speech of Agatha, her bosom heaved with the most convulsive agitation, which awakened the tenderest emotions of pity and compassion for an object so innocent, so lovely,-so amiable; but Agatha did not repent, that though she had sustained a sharp trial of her feelings, that she had gradually opened her mind to contemplate the too faithful portrait she had drawn of the insidious, and

cruel arts of mankind, by which hapless woman becomes too frequently the unfortunate victim of her own credulity; still Agatha wished to say something to relieve the feelings of the so suddenly surprised, and heart-wounded Jessy, before the arrival of the fisher, and, in the kindest and gentlest accents, she entreated her to compose her agitated feelings, and to consider that the exertion of every faculty of her mind was now necessary to conquer an unhappy attachment which she feared, under present appearances, it would be the height of folly and even madness to yield to; and that, unless Craftly acted very opposite to what he was now doing, there would be little chance of his ever requiting her faithful love, in the fair and honourable way that every honest man wishes to do with a female whom he really respects and loves.

"For, believe me, Jessy," cried Agatha, "and it grieves me deeply, while candour urges me to declare it to you, that I do not think Craftly loves either you or Olive well enough to act on honourable terms, and that it is only a base counterfeit that he is offering to both of you, to gratify the most detestable and cruel of all human passions and purposes; weep not, sweet Jessy, such an object is unworthy of your tears; the possession of such a heart is not worth sighing for,the attentions of such a man valueless; were it otherwise, (and for your sake I would that it were so!) why should Craftly wish to dissemble with your sister Olive?-why conceal from your father his affection for you? Is he not your parent? is he not the most proper personage to disclose his sentiments to on such an occasion? has he not a right to be consulted on the happiness of his child? so kind, so good a father too! ah, Jessy! you are the pride of that dear father's

heart, the darling, the blessing of his old age! I think how it would break to hear his Jessy deceived, betrayed, perhaps torn from his tender arms, and by whom?-the man in whom he most placed implicit trust and confidence ;-the boy too, in childhood, that he most loved! Jessy, turn from the sickening picture which fancy now has drawn! may the reality never have existence but in fancy! Heaven and all good angels, guard my Jessy from such a fate!"

Agatha had now touched the most tender chord in Jessy's heart, and that was her father; and Leontine, Olive, all were forgot, when she thought of her duty to this most kind, this most dear of all earthly friends!

"Victory is yours, dearest Miss Singleton," exclaimed Jessy, instantly drying her tears, and throwing her arms round the snowy neck of the lovely monitor; "I would not pain the heart of my dear father for the wealth of worlds; and though I hope my cousin Craftly is not the faulty being you describe, and though my silly heart would yet encourage the pleasing hope, that he would not be so cruel as to deceive poor Jessy, still, Miss Singleton, I would perish ere I would again listen to vows so offered; no, I would rather resign him to my sister Olive than to receive a heart so divided, or believe in a disposition so wavering and inconstant, and which does not appear to know itself."

"You have said rightly, dearest girl," cried Agatha ; "a libertine is the last person in existence to know himself."

"And you believe that I shall be happier without the attentions or affections of Leontine, dearest Miss Singleton," repeated Jessy. To which Agatha gravely replied,

"Happiness, my dear girl, results from the consciousness of having acted rightly; 'tis that, and that alone, that is the surest founder of peace, and every noble, every generous thought springs from it; we cannot be unhappy, while we feel assured that we merit the approval of conscience, and the protection of that all-seeing eye to whom all hearts are known, and from whom our most secret thoughts cannot be hidden. This is happiness, dearest Jessy, and this happiness will be yours, should you shun the path, of which I have fortunately been the instrument of warning you; in the meantime, behave in your usual manner towards your father's kinsman, in all but listening clandestinely to any secret avowal of his passion, and give him no reason to imagine that you suspect his designs, till he affords you an open and a seasonable opportunity for so doing, then bid him apply to your father; and, trust me, if he means you honourable affection, he will not be long before he discloses his intentions to your father; and believe not in vows, promises, or oaths, which sooner or later may be broken, for, as the poet too justly describes the passion of his sex, the vows and promises of mankind are not to be faithfully relied on; as in the following passage from a well-known play :

"When a man talks of love, with caution hear him!
But if he swears-he'll certainly deceive you."

Jessy heaved a deep sigh, responsive to her feelings and her faithless Leontine, for such she feared he was but the powerful impression he had so long successfully made on her young and innocent heart, repelled the thought of his being a professed libertine: she

hoped that time would convince her gentle monitor that she was mistaken, still she determined faithfully to abide by her better counsel, committing to her judgment her most secret thoughts, and thanking her a thousand times for her friendly advice. Jessy and her separated for the present; the one to inspect the preparations which were making for the dinner, and the other to make some little alterations in her dress; for Agatha could never divest herself of a certain system in which she had been so delicately educated, and though she had but little pride in adorning her beautiful person, she had a close regard to simplicity and neatness in her attire, and to braiding regularly those lovely tresses, which needed no other additional aid of ornament, and assisted by Claribelle, they were put into their usual form, and she had just finished her toilet, when she heard the door of her chamber softly unclosed, and the head of Wolf obtrude itself on her notice; he held out a fine peach in his hand, while he exclaimed,

"This is for you, dear sister, it was given to me for my management of sailing my little ship on the water, by such a fine beautiful lady, who was walking by the sea-side with a fine gentleman; so they stopped to look at my ship, and when I had got it to sail so nicely, she said I was a clever little fellow, and gave me this peach, and Alfred some apples; so then they went away and left us, and when David came up to where we were sailing the ship, he said that the lady was the greatest in the place, and that the gentleman who was with her was a lord, and that I might be very proud of the present she had given me; so Alfred has brought home his apples, and I have brought home my peach, but deuce a one shall have a bit of it but