(a

ance of cheerfulness. She told me of her hearty breakfast cup of tea, and part of an egg!) - and spoke of her increasing strength. She could almost, she said, walk to Somerfield. Lady Julia trembled, Mrs. Courthrope was deadly pale, and I felt deeply apprehensive of the effect of the coming excitement upon such shattered nerves as those of Lady Anne.

Into the roomy carriage we stepped, about half-past eleven. The day was bright and cold - the air, however, refreshing. As we approached Somerfield, it was evident that but for the incessant use of her vinaigrette, Lady Anne must have fainted. We were all silent enough by the time we reached the gates of Dr. Y's house. Lady Anne was assisted to alight, and, leaning on my arm and that of her sister, walked up with tottering steps to the house, where Mrs. Y— received her with all respectful attention. A glass of wine considerably reassured the fainting sufferer; and while she paused in the drawing-room to recover her breath, I stepped to the Baronet's apartment to prepare him for a suitable reception of his lady. Dr. Y- informed me that Sir Henry had been talking about it ever since. I found him pacing slowly about his chamber, dressed, alas! with additional absurdity. In vain, I found, had both Dr. Y— and his keeper expostulated with him: they found that nothing else would keep him in humour. He wore, over his usual tight-fitting green baize dress, a flaming scarlet sash, with a massive gold chain round his neck. An ebony walking-stick was worn as a sword; and his cap, somewhat like that of a hussar, was surmounted with a peacock's feather, stripped, all but the eye at the top, and nearly three feet high. On this latter astounding appendage, I found, he particularly prided himself. I implored him to remove it, but he begged me, somewhat haughtily, to allow him to dress as he pleased. I protest I felt sick at the spectacle. What a frightful object to present to Lady Anne! However, we might prepare her to expect something outré in her husband's appearance. "Permit me to ask, Sir Henry," said I, resolved upon a last effort, "why you are in full dress?"

He looked astonished at the question. "I thought, Doctor, I told you of my engagement with his majesty?"

"Oh, ay, true; but perhaps you will receive your lady uncovered," said I, pressing for a dispensation with the abominable head-dress.

"No, Sir," he replied, quietly but decisively, and I gave up the point. His keeper whispered to me at the door, that Sir Henry alleged as a reason for dressing himself as I have described, his having to attend the king immediately after the interview with his lady; so that he would have no time for dressing in the interval.

"Is the party ready?" inquired the Baronet, interrupting our momentary tête-à-tête. I hesitated; I was suddenly inclined, at all hazards, to put off the dreaded interview; but I dared not venture on such a step.

"Y-yes, Sir Henry, and waits your pleasure to throw herself into your arms."

"What! good God! throw herself into my arms! throw herself into my arms! was there ever such a thing heard of!" exclaimed the Baronet with a confounded air; "no, no! I can admit of no such familiarities! that is going rather too far―under the circumstances eh?" turning towards his keeper, whom most reluctant to assume it he had thrust into a costume something like that of an Austrian soldier. 66 What do you say?" The man bowed in acquiescence.

-

"And further, Doctor," continued the Baronet, pointing to his keeper, "this gentleman, my secretary, must be present all the while to take notes of what passes."

"Undoubtedly," I replied, with an air of intense chagrin, inwardly cursing myself for permitting the useless and dangerous interview. I hastened back to the apartment in which I had left the ladies, and endeavoured to prepare Lady Anne, by describing with a smile her husband's dress. She strove to smile with me, and begged that she might be led into his presence at once. Leaning between Lady Julia and myself, she shortly tottered into the Baronet's room, having first, at my suggestion, drawn down her black veil over her pale face.

"Pen! pen! pen!" hastily whispered the Baronet to his keeper, as we opened the door and the latter instantly took his

seat at the table, before a desk, with pens and ink. The Baronet bowed courteously to us as we entered.

"Speak to him," I whispered, as I led in her Ladyship. She endeavoured to do so, but her tongue failed her. Her lips moved, and that was all. Lady Julia spoke for her sister, in tremulous accents. Lady Anne closed her eyes on seeing the fantastic dress of her husband, and shook like an aspen leaf.

“Harry, dearest Harry,” at length she murmured, stretching her trembling arms towards him, as if inviting him to approach her. Sir Henry, with a polite, but distant air, took off his cap for a moment, and then carefully replaced it, without making any reply.

Shall we take seats, Sir Henry?" I inquired.

"Yes - she may be seated," he replied, with an authoritative air, folding his arms, and leaning against the corner of the window, eyeing his lady with curious attention.

Are you come here of your own free will?" said he calmly. "Yes, Henry, yes," she whispered.

"Put that down," said the Baronet, in an under tone, to his secretary.

"Are you recovered?"

'Quite, dearest!" replied his lady, faintly.

"Put that down," repeated the Baronet, quickly, looking at his "secretary" till he had written it. There was a pause. I sat beside Lady Anne, who trembled violently, and continued deadly pale.

"I am sure, Sir Henry," said I, "you are not displeased at her Ladyship's coming to see you? If you are not, do come and tell her so, for she fears you are offended!" She grasped my fingers with convulsive efforts, without attempting to speak. Sir Henry, after an embarrassed pause, walked from where he had been standing, till he came directly before her, saying, in a low tone, looking earnestly into her countenance, "God be my witness, Anne, I bear you no malice; is it thus with you?” elevating his finger, and looking towards his keeper, intimating that he was to take down her reply - but none was made. He dropped slowly on one knee, drew the glove off his right hand, as if going to take

hold of Lady Anne's, and tenderly said, "Anne, will you give me no reply?" There was no madness in either his tone or manner, and Lady Anne perceived the alteration.

"Harry! Harry! Dearest! my love!" she murmured, suddenly stretching towards him her hands, and fell into his arms, where she lay for a while motionless.

"Poor creature! How acute her feelings are!" exclaimed the Baronet, calmly. "You should strive to master them, Anne, as I do. I bear you no ill-will; I know you had provocation! How her little heart beats," he continued musingly. "Why, she has fainted! How very childish of her to yield so!"

It was true; the unhappy lady had fainted, and lay unconsciously in her more unconscious husband's arms. Her sister, weeping bitterly, rose to remove her; but the Baronet's countenance became suddenly clouded. He allowed us to assist his lady, by removing her bonnet, but continued to grasp her firmly by the wrists, staring into her face with an expression of mingled concern and wonder. His keeper's practised eye evidently saw the storm rising, and came up to him.

"You had better let her Ladyship be removed!" he whispered into his ear authoritatively, eyeing him fixedly, at the same time gently disengaging her arms from his grasp.

"Well - be it so; I'm sorry for her; I've a strange recollection of her kindness; and is it come to this, poor Anne!” he exclaimed, tremulously, and walked to the further window, where he stood with his back towards us, evidently weeping. We removed Lady Anne immediately from the room; and it was so long before she recovered, that we doubted whether it would be safe to remove her home that day. "Well, as far as I am concerned," thought I, as I bent over her insensible form, "this is the last time I will be a party to the torture inflicted by such a scene as this, though in obedience to your own wishes!" As I was passing from the room in which she lay, I encountered Sir Henry, followed closely by his keeper.

"Whither now, Sir Henry," I inquired, with a sigh.

Going to tell the king that I cannot dine with him to-day, as I had promised, for I am quite agitated, though I scarce know why.

Who brought Lady Anne to me?" he whispered. I made him no reply. "I am glad I have met you, however; we 'll take a turn in the grounds, for I have something of the highest consequence to tell you."

"Really you must excuse me, Sir Henry; I have

"Are you in earnest, Doctor? Do you know the consequences of refusing to attend to my wishes?"

I suffered him to place my arm in his, and he led me down the steps into the garden. Round, and round, and round we walked, at a rapid rate, his face turned towards me all the while with an expression of intense anxiety but not a syllable did he utter. Faster and faster we walked, till our pace became almost a run, and, beginning to feel both fatigued and dizzy, I gently swayed him from the pathway towards the door-steps.

"Poor poor Anne!" he exclaimed in a mournful tone, and starting from me abruptly, hurried to a sort of alcove close at hand, and sat down, covering his face with his handkerchief, his elbows resting upon his knees. I watched him for a moment from behind the door, and saw that he was weeping, and that bitterly. Poor Sir Henry! Presently one of his brother captives approached him, running from another part of the grounds, in a merry mood, and slapping him instantly on the back, shouted "I am the Lord of the Isles!"

"I can't play billiards with your majesty to-day," replied Sir Henry, looking up, his eyes red and swollen with weeping.

"Embrace me, then!" said the lunatic; and they were forthwith locked in one another's arms. "You are in tears!" exclaimed the stranger, himself beginning suddenly to cry; but in a moment or two he started off, putting his hand to his mouth, and bellowing, "Yoicks - yoicks! Stole away! Stole away!"

The Baronet relapsed into his former mood, and continued in a similar posture for several minutes, when he rose up, wiped away his tears, and commenced walking again round the green, his arms folded on his breast as before, and talking to himself with great vehemence. I could catch only a few words here and there, as he hurried past me. "It will never be believed! What could have been my inducement? — When will it be tried? — I saw all