frame: but it was not till the last gimmering of hope was extinguished, on his examining his roon, where e thought he might have left it, that he felt the full horror of his situation.

He sat for some minutes absorbed and almost afraid to

ethink. It was not his own, but the necessities of the poor woman, who had, perhaps incurred debts on herself to af

bim comforts, that bore so hard upon him. At last,

nsing from his seat, he exclaimed,

"I must determine on something. Since this is gone, I must seek what else I have to part with, for I cannot long bear such suspense."

He opened the drawer into which he had locked the few valuables he had preserved.

With a trembling hand he took them out one by one. There were several trinkets which had been given to hun by his mother; and a pair of inlaid pistols, that his grandfather had put into his belt on the morning of the dreadful tenth of October; his miniature lay beneath the mild oyes of the palatine seemed beaming with affection upon his grandson: Thaddeus snatched it up, kissed it fervently, and then laid it back into the drawer, whilst he hid his face with his hands.

When he recovered himself, he replaced the pistols, feeling that it would be almost a sacrilege to part with thein. Without allowing himself time to think, he put a gold pencil case and a pair of brilliant sleevebuttons into his waistcoat pocket.

He descended the stairs with a soft step, and passing the kitchen door unperceived by his landlady, crossed through a little court; and then anxiously looking froin right to left, to find any place in which he might probably dispose of the trinkets, he took his way up Castlestreet, and along Leicester square.

When he turned up the first street to his right, he was impeded by two persons, who stood in the path, the one selling, the other buying a hat. The thought immediately struck Thaddeus, of asking one of these men (who appeared to be a Jew and a vender of clothes) to purchase his pelisse. By parting with a thing to which he annexel

inore value than the warmth it afforded him, he

་

should spare himself the pain, for this time at least, of sacrificing those gifts of his mother, which had been bestowed upon him in happier days, and hallowed by her

caresses.

He did not permit himself to hesitate a moment but desired the Jew to follow him into a little court that was nigh. The man obeyed directly; and having no ideas independent of his trade, asked the count what he wanted to buy.

"Nothing: I want to sell this pelisse," returned he, opening it. The Jew without any ceremony, inspected the covering and the fur.

"Aye, I see it is black lined with sable; who would buy it of me? It is embroidered, and nobody wears such things here."

"Then I am answered," replied Thaddeus.

"Stop, sir," cried the Jew, pursuing him; what will you take for it?"

"What will you give me ?"

"Let me see. It is very long and wide. At the uttermost, I cannot offer you more than five guineas."

A few months ago, it had cost the count twelve times as much; but glad to get any money, however small, he readily closed with the man's price; and taking off the cloak, without a sigh, he gave it to him, and put the guineas into his pocket.

He had not walked much farther, when the piercing cold of the evening, and a shower of snow which began to fall, made him feel the effects of his loss: however, that did not annoy him; he had been too heavily assailed by the pitiless rigours of misfortune, to regard the pelting of the elements. Whilst the wind blew in his face,and the sleet falling on his dress lodged in his embroidered lapels, he went forward calculating whether it were likely that this money with the few shillings he yet possessed, would be sufficient to discharge what he owed. Unused as he had been to all kinds of expenditure that required attention, he supposed from what he had already seen of a commerce with the world, that the sum he had received from the Jew was not above half what he wanted; and with a beating heart he walked towards one of those shops which he had

heard Mrs. Robson describe when she spoke of the ir regularities of her son, who had nearly reduced her to beggary.

The candles were lit. And as he hovered about the door, he distinctly saw the master through the glass, assorting some parcels on the counter. He was a gentleman-like man; and the count's feeling's took quite a dif ferent turn from those with which he had accosted the Jew, who was a low sordid wretch, looking upon the people with whom he trafficked,as pieces of wood; therefore few unpleasant sensations assailed his breast when bargaining with him but the sight of a respectable person, before whom he was to present himself as a man in poverty, as one who in a manner appealed to charity, all at once overcame the resolution of Sobieski, and he debated whether he should return. Mrs. Robson and her probable distress, rose before him; and fearful of trusting his pride any further, he pulled his cap over his face, stepped up the step, and entered the shop.

:

The man bowed very civilly on his entrance, and requested to be honoured with his commands. Thaddeus

felt his face glow; but indignant at his own weakness, he walked up to the counter, and laying down the gold case, said in a voice, which notwithstanding his emotion he compelled to be without appearance of confusion, "I want to part with this.”

The man astonished at the dignity of his air, and the nobility of his dress, (for the star did not escape his eye,) looked at him for a moment, holding the case in his hand. The count, hurt by the steadiness of his gaze, rather haughtily repeated what he said. The man hesitated no longer. He had been accustomed to similar requests from the emigrant French noblesse: but there was a loftiness and an air of authority, in the countenance and mien of his person, that surprised and awed him; and with a respect which even the application could not counteract, he opened the case and inquired of Thaddeus, what was the had affixed to it.

"I leave that to you,” replied the count; gold is solid."

66

price

he

you see the

"Yes," returned the man, laying it down, "but I canVOL. I.

not give more than three guineas. It is very thin; and though the workmanship be fine, it is not the fashion of England, and will be no benefit to me till melted."

"You may have it," said Thaddeus, hardly able to ar ticulate, as he again laid the gift of his mother out of his band.

The man directly paid him down the money, and the count, with a bursting heart, darted out of the shop.

Mrs. Robson was shutting up the windows of her lit tle parlour, when he hastily passed her, and glided up the stairs. Hardly believing her senses, she hastened af ter him, and just got into the room as he swallowed a glass of water."

"Good Lord, sir," cried she," where has your honour been? I thought you had been all the while in the house, and I would not come near, though I was very uneasy: and there has been poor William crying himself blind, because you had desired to be left alone."

Thaddeus was not prepared to make her any answer. He had been in hopes to have gotten in as he had stolen out, undiscovered; for he had determined not to agitate her good mind by the history of his loss. He would not allow her to know any thing of his embarrassinents, from sentiments of justice, as well as of that pride which all his sufferings and philosophy could not wholly subdue.

"I have been taking a walk, Mrs. Robson."

"Dear heart! I thought when you staggered back, and looked so ill, after you brought in William that you had overwalked yourself."

"No, I fancy my fears had a little discomposed me, and I hoped more air might do me good; I tried it, and it has but I am grieved that I have alarmed you."

This ambiguous speech perfectly satisfied nis kinů landlady. Thaddeus, much fatigued by a bodily exertion, which nothing less than the perturbed state of his mind, could have carried him through in the present_feebleness of his frame, after he had taken some tea, at the earnest request of Mrs. Robson, went directly to bed, where tired nature soon found temporary repose in a profound sleep

CHAPTER XI.

WHEN the Count awoke in the morning, he found himself rather better than worse from the exertions of the preceding day. When Nanny appeared as usual with his breakfast, and little William, (who always set on his knee and shared his bread and butter,) he desired to beg that her grandmother would send to Mr. Vincent with his compliments, and tell him that he was so well at present, as to decline any further medical aid, and therefore requested to have his bill.

Mrs. Robson, who could not forget the behaviour of the apothecary, undertook to deliver the message herself, happy in the triumph she should experience over the littleness o Mr. Vincent's suspicions.

After the lapse of a quarter of an hour, she reappeared in the Count's room, with the apothecary's assistant; who, with many thanks received the sum total of his account, which amounted to three guineas for ten days attendance.

The man having withdrawn, Thaddeus told Mrs. Robson that he must next defray the smallest part of that vast debt, which his heart should ever owe to her paternal

care.

"O, bless your honor, it goes to my heart to take a farthing from you ! but these poor children," cried she, laying a hand on each, and her eyes glistening, "they look un to me as their all here; and my quarter day was due yesterday, else dear sir, I should have scorned to have been like doctor. Vincent,and have taken your money the moment you offered it."

My good madam," returned Sobieski, giving hier a chair, "I am sensible of the kindness of your nature; but it is your just due, and the payment of it can never lessen my gratitude for the friendship that you have shown to me" as a stranger."

"Then there sir," said she looking almost ashamed, as f she were rubbing him when she laid it on the table, "there is my bill. I have regularly set down every thing.