She motioned to sit down on a chair they approached.

"You are not well," said Lefevre, scarcely knowing that he spoke at all. "What can I do?"

"O, nothing-leave me," she replied, with a trembling and hasty voice.

"Leave you! O, don't say it!-look on me-speak to me!-only say I may address you-say you are disengaged."

She endeavored to raise her head, but only effected it in part, and struggling with her feelings, said-" O, sir!-my grandmother-leave me, leave me a little."

"Dear Miss D-!" exclaimed Le

He was

fevre he could say no more. intoxicated with joy at this reference to her guardian, and immediately turned towards the house in pursuit of her.

He found her alone in the parlour, with a countenance rather more raised and anxious than usual, as though guess-. ing the nature of his errand. He avowed his attachment-expressed his hopes-and referred to his circumstances, with a faultering tongue and a beating heart. Many

were the blunders he committed-many his attempts to correct them-but seldom were they improved by the attempt.

However, his was not the repulsive task, to acknowledge feelings where the acknowledgment was treated with coldness and scorn. Aged as she was, this worthy personage had not forgotten the sentiments of youth, and was always benevolently prepared to sympathize in them. She behaved to Lefevre with the utmost delicacy and respect. She gratified his affection by speaking in candid and tender terms of her granddaughter; and pacified his fears by assuring him, that should the connexion appear to involve her happiness, there would be no obstacle in the way to it.

Lefevre respectfully kissed her hand -called her in his thoughts the bestthe kindest of relations'--and with a heart less anxious but more joyful, than that with which he entered the house hastened from it in search of her, who was the spring of all his emotion.

He came to the seat on which he had left her-but she was not there. He was

anxious-" Why did I leave her so abruptly?" said he-" Perhaps she became

worse.

He continued to walk as he spoke, and soon perceived her moving, slowly and thoughtfully, down a green alley that led to the arbor. He quickly joined her and announced his success. They continued to walk and commune with each other for nearly an hour, when Lefevre received a summons from Wallis. They had agreed to sleep at Bromley that night, in their way to town; and, as the shades of evening were coming on, it was necessary they should start. The separation was one of mutual regret, but of mutually good understanding.

The intercourse, being thus opened, was carried forward for some weeks by letter and occasional visits, with growing satisfaction to both parties. Lefevre, indeed, soon found he had a rival-but a rival, from whom he had nothing to fear. Mr. Simpkins-if his name deserves to be recorded-was an empty, conceited and positive young man. He had, however, a good person and a handsome fortune.

These he adored, and, next to these, he vowed he adored Miss D. He concluded, with such pretensions, no young lady, situated as Miss D

was, would venture to refuse him. With this notion in his head, he had set down his repulses to the coquetry of the sex, and only renewed his addresses accordingly. When Lefevre came in the way, his bad passions, which are always much stronger than the good ones in weak characters, were put in motion; and, he determined to contend, if not for love, for victory. He became fulsome in his professions, and persecuting in his addresses; and, by proposing to settle £500. a year upon her, and start a chariot on the day of marriage, he thought to secure his prize by a coup de main. To his utter astonishment, however, he found a female heart proof against all his bribes. All his overtures only raised indifference to antipathy-they were rejected without hesitation-and he, at length, retired from the hated presence of his successful competitor, with wounded pride festering in

his heart.

Although the attentions of Simpkins were far from benefitting himself, they had a tendency to strengthen the very bonds he wished to break asunder. The pre

sence of such a man set off to great advantage the respectful reserve, the frank manners, the freedom from paltry jealousy, which were manifested in the conduct of Lefevre; while it furnished an opportunity of discovering, the retreating modesty, the transparent simplicity, the firm dignity of Miss D-- Neither party seemed to require such stimuli as these to quicken their affections; it may readily be concluded, therefore, that they had a powerful tendency to accelerate and confirm their attachments.

Much has been said of the happy influence of a virtuous and worthy attachment on character. Lefevre now became an instance of this. He had not permitted himself to think of addressing Miss Dwithout previously resolving, to sacrifice every thing inconsistent with his proposals to her; and, as all the energies of his pas