was not so blind as to be insensible to my indifference on a subject which she had fondly flattered herself would have elicited far more vivid emotions; still, as I expressed no disinclination to the measure, remonstrance was impossible, and she contented herself with re-stating, in the most persuasive language of which she was mistress, the various and incalculable advantages attending the connexion. Her endeavours were not wholly unsuccessful, and, after a day principally spent in reflection on all the pros and cons of the business, I went to repose with a resolution of confirming my willingness to avail myself immediately of his Lordship's invitation, trusting to Providence and to events as they might arise, to enable me either to accept or decline the honour intended me. This I signified to my mother before I retired for the night, in such terms as again caused the beam of satisfaction and joy to sparkle in her eye. On the following day I again pursued my way towards that great emporium of the wealth of the universe, which, as I firmly believed, contained, among its other treasures, the paragon of her sex-Remember, reader, I was then not twenty-two.

The weather on this occasion was still more boisterous and unpleasant than on the day of my journey into the country, but I neither marked its state nor felt its inconvenience. The road, the prospects, the very

post-boys were all charming; and, but that they were rather slow, the very horses would have had the benefit of that complacency with which I was now disposed to regard all nature, animate and inanimate-except Mrs Morgan.

My mother had provided me with an introductory letter to Lord Manningham, expressing the satisfaction she had experienced at finding the only surviving brother of her lamented Charles thus disposed to countenance and support his widow and only child, while she deeply regretted that the state of her health was such as to render so long a journey imprudent, not to say impossible, on her own part. Of me, her son, she spoke in the fondest terms maternal affection could dictate, and conjured him by the love which, as his letter evinced, he had borne the father, to extend that love to the son. She added her eager coincidence in his half-expressed wish, and her anxious hope that his Lordship would pay her a visit, at Underdown Hall, at the earliest opportunity his engagements would afford him. A civil postscript from Sir Oliver, backing the latter request, completed this momentous despatch, which was delivered into my safe keeping, sealed, in due form, with a fine impression of the Bullwinkle arms, affixed by the Baronet himself, in a circle of sealing-wax the size of a crownpiece.

It was late in the afternoon when I reached London, but no sooner had I deposited my baggage safely in my old quarters, than I ran, without even changing my dress, or taking any refreshment, to Jermyn Street. My old friend Sally opened the door as usual, but her countenance at once told me that she had nothing to communicate. "Neither of the ladies had called since I was there last," and, of course, she had as yet had no opportunity of earning the stipulated reward; but "she did not despair." Nor did I, though I could not help feeling sorely disappointed. Foiled once more, I returned to the hotel, and, having seated myself in the coffee room, was slowly pull

ing to pieces and devouring the solitary muffin that accompanied my cup of coffee, with all the vacant deliberation of mental as well as corporeal lassitude, when a sudden slap on the shoulder induced me to raise my eyes, which immediately encountered an oblique glance from those of my cousin Nicholas. Iknow not whether I have before remarked that my young relative, among his other accomplishments, possessed that of squinting in its most perfect fashion; looking me, therefore, full in the face, while an ordinary observer would have believed one of his eyes directed to the opposite side of the room, and its fellow to the muffineer in my hand, "Charles," quoth

he, "is it possible? I thought you had long ere this been at Underdown! What! been snug in town all the while? Eh, old Sobersides? Ferreting out some wench for a hundred! The little gipsy we picked up at the playhouse, eh ?"

A very respectable portion of the best blood in my veins rushed into my face, as I indignantly repelled this injurious supposition, assuring my cousin, in tones of greater asperity than usual, that, so far from having been lying perdu in London, or engaged in any unworthy pur. suit, I had actually been down to his father's, and was indeed but just res turned.

"Well, well, no great harm, cousin Charles, had my guess been a true one; you might, perhaps, have been worse employed. But how goes it with old Squaretoes, and that dainty piece of dimity, Miss Kitty Pyefinch? Curse her nankeen countenance! I thought she would have kissed me when I left home, whether I would or no."

"Nicholas," said I," Sir Oliver is as well as I have ever known him to be, together with all his friends, disrespectfully as you may choose to allude to some of them; but come, let me question you in return-have you found out-that is-have you ever met again with those ladies whom we saw that evening at the oratorio, and followed to Jermyn Street ?"

"Not I-that is-not to speak to them. I fell in with the young tit, indeed, yesterday, walking with her bumpkin brother, but I cut them dead. Miss is too die-away for me. The old girl would be a better speculation by half, if she were not so deuced crummy."

"But where, my dear Nicholaswhere did you meet that charmingI mean, the girl you speak of?"

"Oh! in the Strand, yesterday morning, and I daresay she visits some people in that elegant neighbourhood, for I saw her go into a house in one of the streets leading from it down towards the river."

"Which street, my dear Nicho. las?"

"No, not Wych Street; one of those on the other side of the way; I do not know that I can tell you the name of it; but, as you seem so an

xious about the business, I daresay I could point it out to you, and the house too, for that matter, to-morrow."

"Anxious? no, not at all! But, seriously, my good fellow, you will lay me under an essential obligation if you can shew me the house, as the lady left something in my possession that evening, which, as a gentleman, I of course wish to return."

"Why not go to her own house, then, at once, where we saw her go in with her mother and Master Sappy, after the music?"

"Why, to tell you the truth, Nicholas, I have already called there, and find that is not her residence, but merely the abode of one of her friends."

"Well, cousin Charles, I will help you, as far as I can, with all my heart. But why so close, man? Why not say at once that you have taken a fancy to the girl, and want to beat up her quarters?"

It was with no small difficulty that I could command my temper sufficiently to listen to my cousin's sarcastic innuendoes, which, through the fear of losing what information he might be able to give me, I dared not openly resent. He saw his power, and used it most unmercifully, tantalizing and tormenting me all the evening, in the course of which he managed to draw from me the reasons of my so sudden return to town, and my intended intercourse with Lord Manningham's family. length he quitted me for the night, with a promise of accompanying me the next morning in pursuit of my lovely fugitive, leaving me, however, still half in doubt whether he had not been all along playing upon my credulity, and whether the whole story of the rencontre in the Strand was not a pure fiction of his own inventing.

At

Never did night appear so long as that which intervened between this evening of my return and the following morning, which, as I fondly hoped, was destined to crown my wishes with success. I sprang from my bed as soon as the various sounds from below gave notice that the business of the day was commencing; and, having roused my cousin Nicholas, who slept in an adjoining

chamber, made a hasty toilet, and wandered up and down the empty coffee-room till he should join me at breakfast, which I ordered immediately, in anticipation of his instant appearance. Twenty times had I compared the watch in my hand with the dial in the room, twenty times had I turned with eagerness to the door, through which Nicholas did not enter, and full as often had I taken up, and laid down again, the Morning Herald, of which I found it impossible, at present, to read six consecutive lines. Still he came not. At last, losing all patience, I once more flew up the stairs that led to his chamber, with strides that would not have disgraced an ogre; I burst into his room, and found him-fast asleep, as he was when I had called him an hour and twelve minutes before. Human nature could not endure this; so, turning down the bedclothes, and laying violent hands upon the ewer, I threatened him with a discipline similar to that inflicted on the unlucky pickpocket, unless he immediately took the necessary measures for accompanying me down stairs. This Mr Bullwinkle once more solemnly promised to do; but I was no longer in that state of patient acquiescence which would have enabled me to rest satisfied with his plighted faith. I therefore stationed myself obstinately by his bedside, till the great work of adorning and embellishing his person was completed, an operation which I could not at times help suspecting he took a malicious pleasure in protracting to the latest possible period.

In spite of all his delays, necessary and unnecessary, my cousin Nicholas was at length accoutred; and, after a breakfast which he seemed to me to be an age in devouring, we started off, arm in arm together, towards the Strand. But here the demon of disappointment still pursued me; Nicholas either could not, or would not, point out the precise street in which he had seen the object of my search; and, after leading me in vain up and down every street and lane between Temple Bar and Charing Cross, provokingly asserting as he entered each, that he" was sure he was right at last," a prediction, the fallacy of which was proved the succeeding moment, at length fairly

confessed that "his recollection had certainly failed him for once, and that he really could not now tell which was the identical street in question, though he was perfectly sure it must be one of them."

"Hope deferred," saith the Wise Man, "maketh the heart sick;" and, completely overcome with that uncomfortable sensation, I made but little resistance to the proposal he now made, that we should adjourn for a while to the nearest coffeehouse, and recruit. Many of my readers will recollect one, of a thirdrate description, called the Hungerford, long since swept from the face of the earth by the innovating hand of time, but which, at the period of which I am speaking, stood on the north side of the Strand, and nearly faced the market of the same name, which still exists, and retains its appellation, sed quantum mutatus ab illo! Into this asylum did I betake myself, weary and dispirited both in mind and body, and seated myself opposite to my companion, in one of the boxes near the window.

My cousin Nicholas called for a "basin of mock turtle," and I was persuaded to order another, rather with the view of keeping him in countenance, (though, I must confess I do not recollect having ever seen him out of countenance,) and of whiling away the time till his satiated appetite should enable him to renew the search, than from any inclination to eat. The "two mocks for number three" were at length despatched, and I was settling with the slipshod waiter who had brought them, for my cousin, as usual, “had no silver," when an exclamation from the latter at once took away all my attention.

"There she goes, by G―,” said Nicholas.

"Who?-where?" cried I, turning instantly to the window, and throwing the waiter who had just delivered me the change for a five pound note, twice as much as he demanded. "As I live and breathe," quoth Nicholas," she is in that green chariot yonder ;" and as he spoke he made for the door.

I gave but one look down the street, saw a shewy-looking equi page proceeding at a brisk pace, and instantly turning, scarce gave myself

time to thrust the "flimsies," as Nicholas called the one-pound notes, into my pocket-book that lay on the table, and sprang after him. My cousin was already in the street.

With a degree of rapidity worthy notice in the annals of pedestrianism, we made our way along that crowded thoroughfare; the " green chariot " was still in view, and we were fast gaining upon it, when, in crossing what was then the end of St Martin's Lane, I experienced the truth of that homely but respectable proverb, "The more haste the less speed," I stumbled and fell. It was but the delay of a moment; I was instantly on my legs again, and followed the direction which my cousin declared the chariot had taken, but it was no longer in sight, and we had reached the Opera House, in breathless precipitation, ere my companion stopped short, and observed, "he was afraid he must have been mistaken after all, and that the carriage had turned down towards Parliament Street." It was but too true; we had indeed, in the sportsman's phrase, "overridden the hounds;" and I was cursing the ill luck that seemed to delight in persecuting me, when a transient glimpse of Nicholas's face for the first time induced a suspicion of his sincerity. There was in the expression of his countenance a something which conveyed at once to my mind a strong idea, that he had purposely misled me; though wherefore, it was impossible for me to conjecture. "Bullwinkle!" said I, stopping short, and fixing my eyes upon him, "you are deceiving me. They came not this way, and you know it".

"Upon my life, I fear so," returned he, in an unembarrassed tone, while his villanous obliquity of vision defied the inquisitorial glance I endeavoured to fix upon his eyes; “I really think we must be wrong; but no matter; a girl like her is easily unkennelled, if a man sets about the search in earnest; come, come, Stafford, give up the chase for to-day, man. You have plenty of time before you, and a few of the mopusses, properly administered, will soon ferret her out, I warrant you; or, at all events, they will find you another as good. I should like nothing better than to stay and lend you a helping

hand, for this sort of adventure is rather in my way; but, 'stern necessity,' as the poet says-I must be off to Oxford again to-morrow, for I have been ill there so long, that, by Jove, they may take it into their compassionate heads to look in and see whether I am alive or not; so come, a dish of fish, a cutlet, and one bottle of Burgundy to wash it down, and then I leave you to discover, and arrange matters, if you can, with this invisible insensible, whom you have never seen but once, and prosecute your embryo amour with the delectable cousin you have never seen at all. For me, I am off once more inter sylvas academi quærere verum.”

His open, unembarrassed manner staggered, if it did not remove, my suspicions. I was already fatigued with walking the whole of the day, and accompanied him, therefore, the more readily to the Bedford, resolving to renew my search the next morning, and to leave no stone unturned to accomplish a discovery which, the more that obstacles were thrown in its way, I seemed the more eagerly to desire.

On rising the following morning, I found that Nicholas had for once kept faith; he had already started for Oxford, nor was I at all sorry for the circumstance. Indeed, I could not fail to call to mind the notorious propensity to mischief which he had displayed from a boy-a propensity which, instead of wearing out and disappearing as he advanced in years, had, as I well knew, "grown with his growth, and strengthened with his strength." The more I considered his conduct during the preceding day, the more I became convinced that I had been his dupe throughout; and that at the very moment when he seemed to be most earnest in assisting my enquiries, he was in reality laughing at me in his sleeve, and enjoying my perplexity and disappointment. His absence, therefore, I felt as a positive relief, rather than as an inconvenience, and I

accordingly prepared to renew my researches by myself, deriving added confidence from the want of that very auxiliary on whom I had, the day before, placed so much dependence. But before I again set out on my Quixotic expedition, busy memory interfered most officiously, and

brought to my view, in very prominent colours, the ostensible purpose for which I had returned to London, the plighted promise I had given to my mother, that I would forthwith seek out my noble uncle and his fair daughter. Mrs Stafford would, I knew, be anxious to hear of my arrival, and domestication in Lord Manningham's family. One day's delay might, fairly enough, be attributed to fatigue, &c.; but that of a second would hardly admit of such, or indeed any, excuse. 1, therefore, though not without a feeling of reluctance almost amounting to aversion, determined to go and present my letter of introduction to the "Honourable Amelia Stafford," and her lordly papa. But here I soon found I was reckoning without my host; the epistle so carefully indited by my mother, so much more carefully sealed and superscribed by Sir Oliver, and most carefully, as I imagined, deposited by myself within the voluminous folds of a patent pocket-book-was nowhere to be found. In vain did I ransack the contents of the aforesaid pocketbook, in which I could have ventured to swear I had placed it with my own hand, and whence nothing but the fact of the book's never having been for one moment out of my possession since my departure from Underdown, could prevent my believing it to have been abstracted. In vain did I, as it were, eviscerate every fold and every pocket-the letter had totally disappeared.

After a long-continued but fruitless search, I was endeavouring to recollect whether I might not, after all, in the hurry of my return, have left this fateful billet on my dressingtable at the Hall, when the conviction at once struck me that I had, immediately on receiving it from my mother, placed it directly in my pocketbook, with two others, one from Sir Oliver to his man of business, and one from Miss Kitty Pyefinch, "favoured by C. Stafford, Esq.," to a milliner in Barbican, with whom she had some time before scraped an acquaintance at a watering-place, and had since regularly corresponded, once at least in every year, on the subject of the newest fashions. This last-named and most precious charge I had, immediately on my ar

rival in London, consigned to the vortex of the two-penny post, and now I began to tremble, lest inadvertently I might have committed the missing epistle to the same receptacle; but this, I soon perceived, could not have been the case, as, on a re-examination, I not only found my uncle's letter to his agent, but also another in the closest juxta-position to it, evidently usurping the place of the deficient billet. This was a supernumerary of which I had no recollection, and was addressed to "James Arbuthnot, Esq., British Coffeehouse, Cockspur Street."

Who on earth Mr James Arbuthnot could possibly be, or how a letter directed to him could find its way into my pocket, was to me as absolute a mystery as the quadrature of the circle, the determination of the longitude, or the discovery of the philosopher's stone. There, however, it was, and, as the seal was already broken, I felt little compunction in intruding upon the privacy of a gentleman who had some how or other contrived, most unwittingly on my side, to make me a party to his correspondence. The contents of the letter were as follows:

"SIR,-I vas to meet you at de Tennis Court on Vensday, as you tell me, about that leetle annuity, bote you vas not come. The business can't be done all so cheap as vat I thought; bote if the gentlemans vas abofe seventy, den I can get my frend to do de post obit at twenty-six.-Your most obediently, "AARON XIMENES. "P.S.-The premiums will be only three and a half.”

Never did response, written or unwritten, from the Pythian Tripod, or any other oracle of antiquity, exercise the wits of curious enquirer more than did this mystic scroll puzzle and perplex my wondering faculties. Difficult as it was to decipher the hieroglyphics themselves, their purport, and, above all, the mode in which they could have insinuated themselves into their present situation, was still more mysterious. The more I racked my brain to account for it, the more bewilder