said Empson. "Well for madam I gave her the hint. There he goes, the happy swain."

Julian was so situated, that he could from the same casement through which Empson was peeping, observe a man in a laced roquelaure, and carrying his rapier under his arm, glide from the door by which he had himself entered, and out of the court, keeping as much as possible under the shade of the buildings.

The lady re-entered at this moment, and observing how Empson's eyes were directed, said, with a slight appearance of hurry, "A gentleman of the Duchess of Portsmouth's with a billet; and so tiresomely pressing for an answer, that I was obliged to write without my diamond pen. I have daubed my fingers, I dare say," she added, looking at a very pretty hand, and presently after dipping her fingers in a little silver vase of rose water. that little exotic monster of yours, Empson, I hope she really understands no English?-On my life she coloured.-Is she such a rare dancer?-I must see her dance, and hear him play on the Jew's harp."

But

Dance!" replied Empson; "she danced well enough when I played to her. I can make any thing dance. Old Counsellor Clubfoot danced when he had a fit of the gout; you have seen no such pas seul in the theatre. I would engage to make the Archbishop of Canterbury dance the hays like a FrenchThere is nothing in dancing; it all lies in the music. Rowley does not know that now. He saw this poor wench dance; and thought so much on't, when it was all along of me. I would have defied her to sit still. And Rowley gives her the credit of it, and five pieces to boot; and I have only two for my morning work!"

man.

"True, Master Empson," said the lady; "but

you are of the family, though in a lower station; and you ought to consider-"

"By G, madam," answered Empson, "all I consider is, that I play the best flageolet in England; and that they can no more supply my place, if they were to discard me, than they could fill Thames from Fleet-Ditch."

"Well, Master Empson, I do not dispute but you are a man of talents," replied the lady; "still I say, mind the main chance-you please the ear to-day-another has the advantage of you to-mor

row.

"Never, mistress, while ears have the heavenly power of distinguishing one note from another." Heavenly power, say you, Master Empson?" said the lady.

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Ay, madam, heavenly; for some very neat verses which we had at our festival

say,

"What know we of the blest above,

But that they sing and that they love."

It is Master Waller wrote them, as I think; who, upon my word, ought to be encouraged."

“And so should you, my dear Empson," said the dame, yawning, "were it only for the honour you do to your own profession. But in the meantime, will you ask these people to have some refreshment?-and will you take some yourself?-the chocolate is that which the Ambassador Portuguese fellow brought over to the Queen."

"If it be genuine," said the musician.

"How, sir?" said the fair one, half rising from her pile of cushions-" Not genuine, and in this house! Let me understand you, Master Empson; -I think, when I first saw you, you scarce knew chocolate from coffee."

"By G-, madam," answered the flageolet-play

er, "you are perfectly right. And how can I show better how much I have profited by your ladyship's excellent cheer, except by being critical?"

"You stand excused, Master Empson," said the petit maitresse, sinking gently back on the downy couch, from which a momentary irritation had startled her "I think the chocolate will please you, though scarce equal to what we had from the Spanish resident Mendoza.-But we must offer these strange people something. Will you ask them if they would have coffee and chocolate, or cold wild-fowl, fruit and wine? They must be treated, so as to show them where they are, since here they are.'

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Unquestionably, madam," said Empson; "but I have just at this instant forgot the French for chocolate, hot bread, coffee, game, and drinkables." "It is odd," said the lady; and I have forgot my French and Italian at the same moment. But it signifies little-I will order the things to be brought, and they will remember the names of them themselves."

Empson laughed loudly at this jest, and pawned his soul that the cold sirloin, which entered immediately after, was the best emblem of roast-beef all the world over. Plentiful refreshments were offered to all the party, of which both Fenella and Peveril partook.

In the meanwhile the flageolet-player drew closer to the side of the lady of the mansion-their intimacy was cemented, and their spirits set afloat by a glass of liqueur, which gave them additional confidence in discussing the characters, as well of the superior attendants of the court, as of the inferior rank, to which they themselves might be supposed to belong.

The lady, indeed, during this conversation, frequently exerted her complete and absolute supe

riority over Master Empson; in which that musical gentleman humbly acquiesced whenever the circumstance was recalled to his attention, whether in the way of blunt contradiction, sarcastic insinuation, downright assumption of higher importance, or in any of the other various modes by which such superiority is usually assisted and maintained.

But

the lady's obvious love of scandal was the lure which very soon brought her again down from the dignified port which for a moment she assumed, and placed her once more on a gossiping level with her companion.

Their conversation was too trivial, and too much allied to petty court intrigues, with which he was totally unacquainted to be in the least interesting to Julian. As it continued for more than an hour, he soon ceased to pay the least attention to a conversation consisting of nick-names, patch-work, and inuendo, and employed himself in reflecting on his own complicated affairs, and the probable issue of his approaching audience with the King, which had been brought about by so singular an agent, and by means so unexpected. He often looked to his guide, Fenella, and observed that she was for the greater part of the time, drowned in deep and abstracted meditation. But three or four times-and it was when the assumed airs and affected importance of the musician and their hostess rose to the most extravagant excess-he observed that Fenella dealt askance on them some of those bitter and almost blighting elfin looks, which in the Isle of Man were held to imply contemptuous execration.-There was something in all her manner so extraordinary, joined to her sudden appearance, and her demeanour in the King's presence, so oddly, yet so well contrived to procure him a private audience-which he might by graver means, have sought in vain-that it almost justified the idea, though he smiled at it internally,

that the little mute agent was aided in her machinations by the kindred imps, to whom, according to Manx superstition, her genealogy was to be traced.

Another idea sometimes occurred to Julian, though he rejected the question, as being equally wild with those doubts which referred Fenella to a race different from that of mortals-" Was she really afflicted with those organical imperfections which had always seemed to sever her from humanity? If not, what could be the motives of so young a creature practising so dreadful a penance for such an unremitted term of years? And how formidable must be the strength of mind which could condemn itself to so terrific a sacrifice-How deep and strong the purpose for which it was undertaken."

But a brief recollection of past events enabled him to dismiss this conjecture as altogether wild and visionary. He had but to call to memory the various stratagems practised by his light-hearted companion, the young Earl of Derby, upon this forlorn girlthe conversations held in her presence, in which the character of a creature so irritable and sensitive upon all occasions, was freely and sometimes satirically discussed, without her expressing the least acquaintance with what was going forward, to convince him that so deep a deception could never have been practised for so many years, by a being of a turn of mind so peculiarly jealous and irascible.

He renounced, therefore, the idea, and turned his thoughts to his own affairs, and his approaching interview with his Sovereign; in which meditation we propose to leave him, until we briefly review the changes which had taken place in the situation of Alice Bridgenorth.