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The wedding was fixed for the first of June Between that and the critical ball was little more than six weeks; but, with Rosalie's accoht be done, even within that period; especially as Sir Thomas spent most of the interim in London; whither he went up, it was said, to settle affairs with his lawyer, andnuptials He endeavoured to supply the want of his presence by a pretty constant fire of billets-doux; but these did not attract the neighbours' attention, and open their eyes, as personal visits would have done; and old Lady Ashby's haughty, sour spirit of reserve withheld her fro the nehile her indifferent health prevented her coether, this affair was kept far closer than such things usually are

Rosalie would sometimes show her lover's epistles to me, to convince me what a kind, devoted husband he would make She showed me the letters of another individual, too, the unfortunate Mr Green, who had not the courage, or, as she expressed it, the 'spunk,' to plead his cause in person, but whoain He would not have done so if he could have seen the gri appeals to her feelings, and heard her scornful laughter, and the opprobrious epithets she heaped upon him for his perseverance

'Why don't you tell hied?' I asked

'Oh, I don't want him to know that,' replied she 'If he knew it, his sisters and everybody would know it, and then there would be an end of my--aheement was the only obstacle, and that I would have him if I were free; which I could not bear that any man should think, and he, of all others, at least Besides, I don't care for his letters,' she added, contereat a calf as he likes when IMeltham was pretty frequent in his visits to the house or transits past it; and, judging by Matilda's execrations and reproaches, her sister paid more attention to him than civility required; in other words, she carried on as animated a flirtation as the presence of her parents would ad Mr Hatfield oncethehty indifference with still loftier scorn, and spoke of him with as much disdain and detestation as she had formerly done of his curate But, aht of Mr Weston She e him, tried every art to fascinate him, and pursued him with as much perseverance as if she really loved him and no other, and the happiness of her life depended upon eliciting a return of affection Such conduct was completely beyond my comprehension Had I seen it depicted in a novel, I should have thought it unnatural; had I heard it described by others, I should have deeeration; but when I saith my own eyes, and suffered from it too, I could only conclude that excessive vanity, like drunkenness, hardens the heart, enslaves the faculties, and perverts the feelings; and that dogs are not the only creatures which, when gorged to the throat, will yet gloat over what they cannot devour, and grudge the s brother