JSC dollar PER annum invariably in advance.
fllominn, September 3. 183?.
<*fiftttb
SOMEBODY.
Somebody's courting somebody.
Somebody or other, to-night.
Somebody's whispering to somebody.
Somebody's iist'niug to somebody,
I'uder this clear moonlight.
Near the bright river s flow,
Running so still and slow.
Talking so soft and low,
She sits with somebody.
racing the ocean's shore.
Edged by the foaming roar,
Words, never breathed be/ore,
Sound sweet to somebody.
Under the maple tree.
Deep though the shadow be,
Plain enough they can see—■
Bright eyes has somebody.
No one sits up to wait.
Though she is out so late—
All know she's at the gate.
Talking with somebody.
Tip-toe to parlor door—
Two shadows on the floor—
Moonlight reveals no more-
Susy and somebody.
Two. -ittimr side by side.
Float wish the ebbing tide.
'■ Thus, dearest, may we glide
Through life." says somebody.
Somewhere, somebody
Makes love to somebody.
To-night.
stlttltb (Litlt.
?113 33 ?3P Lf U AIJ
FRANCES SEYMOUR had been left an orphan !
and an heiress very early in life. Her mother ,
had died in giving birth to a second child. !
which did not survive its parent, so that Fran
ces had neither brother nor sister ; aud her
father, an officer of rank an 1 merit, was killed
a: Waterloo. When this sad news reached
Eugland, the child was spending her vacation
with Mrs. Weutworth, a sister of Mrs. Sey
mour. and hencelorth this lady's house became
her home : partly, because there was no other !
relative to ciaiiu her, and partly, because j
amongst Colonel Seymour's papers, a letter |
was found, addressed to Mrs. Wentworth. re- i
questing that, if be fell in the impending con- j
th.:. she would take charge of his daughter.— .
Iu making this request, it is probable that I
(.'clone. Seymour was more influenced by ne- j
cessity than choice : Mrs. Weutworth beiug a
gay woman of the world, who was not likely j
to bestow tuuch thought or care uj>on her ueice, 1
whom she received under her roof without un
willingness, but without affection. Had Fran- ;
i\s been poor she would felt her a burdeu : 1
but as she was rich, there was >ouie eclat and
no inconvenience in undertaking the office of
her guardian and chajK'rou—the rather as she
hid no daughter of her owu with whom Fran
ces's beauty or wealth could interfere ; for as
the young heiress grew iuto womanhood, the
charms of her person were quite remarkable'
enough to have excited the jealousy of her
cousins, if she had any ; or to make her own
fortune, if she had not possessed one already.
She was. moreover, extremely accomplished,
good-tempered, cheerful, and altogether what
is called a very uice girl ; but of course she 1
had her faults, like all other people : she was \
too fond of admiration—a fault which had i
been very much encouraged at the school ;
where she had been educated ; beanty and
wealth, especially when combined, being gen
orally extremely popular at such establish
ments. As long, however, as her admirers
were only romantic schoolfellows and calculat
ing school-mistresses, there was not much harm
doue ; tut the period now approached iu which
there would Ik* more scope for the exercise of
this passion, and more danger in its indulgence 1
Frances had reached the age of seventeen, and 1
was about to make her debut in the world of |
fashion—an event to which, certain as she was !
of making nunierou* conquests, she looked for- j
ward with groat delight.
Whilst engaged in preparations for these an
tkipated triumphs. Mrs Weutworth said to
her cue day : "Now that you are coming out.
Frances. I think it is ray duty to communicate '
to yot a wish of your father's, expressed in the j
letter which was "fouud after his death. It is
a w.sa regarding your choice for a husband."
" Pear me. aunt, bow verv odd !" exclaitnevl
Frances.
"It is ratber odd." returned Mrs. Went
worth ; "and, to be candid, I dou't think it is
very w.se ; for schemes of this sort seldom or
never turn ont we!!."
Scheme 1 What scheme is it V asked
1 ranees, with no little curiosity.
Why. yon must know," answered her aunt.
' :r.at your father had a very intimate frieod.
t *bvT.; lie was as much attached ail bis life
is ;f lie Lad been his brother."
Vou mean Sir Richard Elliott. I reraem
tvr seel: g him and his son at Ottcrbv, when I
a i.ule girl ; and I often heard papa >peak
<■ b afterwards."
Well, wheu youag Elliot got his comnats
' "" your papa, in cormuauce with Sir Rieh
•id's request used his interest to have him ap
pointed to his owu reciuicnt, in order that he
-- : keep birn under his eye. By th s . ears,
became intimately acquainted with the
- c man's character, and, 1 suppose, as
Q*a attached to him as to his father."
A_i the scheme is, that I should marry
thai. I suppose J*
"Provided y.-vt are both disposed, iret
c-iherwue ; there is to be no compulsion ia the
case."
" It is a sth roe that ail! never be realised,'
1 Frances • "for, of all thing*. 1 sbooMilis
a marriage that had been paused ia thai
THE BRADFORD REPORTER.
*ay. The Tery idea of standing in such an
awkward relation to a man would make me hate
him."
" That's why I think all soeh schemes bet
ter let alone," returned Mrs. Wentworth ; "but
as your father desires that I will put you in j
possession of his wishes before you go into the
world, I have no choice but to "do it."
" It does uot appear, however, that this Mr.
Elliot is very anxious about the matter, since
he has uever taken the trouble of comiug to
see me. Perhaps he does not kuow of the
scheme J"
"Oh yes, he does ; but, iu the first place,
he is abroad with bis regiment ; and in the ;
second, he abstains upon principle from seek
ing to making your acquaintance. So Sir
Richard told me, wheu I met him last year at
Lady Grautley's fete. He said that his son's
heart was perfectly free, but that he did not
think it right to throw himself in your way ; j
or endeavor to engage your affections, till yon
have had an opiMjrtuuity of seeing something
of the world. Tue old gentleman had a great
desire of seeing you himself ; and he would
have called, but he was ouly passing through
London on his way to some German baths,
and he was to start the next morning."
" And what sort of a uerson is this Mr. I
Elliott ?"
" I really don't know, except that his father
praised him to the skies. He's Major Elliott
now, and must be about eight-and-twenty."
" And he is the eldest son ?"
" He's the eldest son, aud will be Sir Hen
ry—l think that's his name—by and by. Rut
he's not rich : quite the contrary, he's very
poor for a baronet ; and I incline think that
that is one of the reasons that influenced your
father. Being so fond of the Elliotts, he wish
ed to repair, in some degree, the dilapidation
of their fortunes by yours."
"So that I shall have the agreeable con
sciousness of being married purely for my mon
ey. lam afraid poor dear papa's scheme will
fail ; and I wish, aunt, you had never told me
of it."
" That was not left to my discretion : if it
had been. I should uot have told yon of it, I
assure yon."
" Well, I can only hope that I shall never
see Major Elliott : and if he ever proposes to
come, aunt, pray do me the favor to assure
him. from me. that it will not be of the smallest
use."
"That would be foolish till you've seen him.
You may like him."
" Never: I could not like a man whom
I met under *uch circumstances, if he were an
angel."
Thus, with a heart steeled against Major
Elliott and bis attractions whatever they might
be. Frances Seymour made her debut ; and.
however brilliant had been her anticipations of
success, she had the satisfaction of finding them
fully realized. She was the belle of the sea
>on —admired, courted and envied : and by the
eud of it, she had refused at least a half a
dozen proposals. As she was perfectly inde
pendent, siie resolved to enjoy a longer lease
of her liberty, before she put it in the power
of any man to control her inclinations.
Shortly after the termination of the season,
some family affairs cal.ed Mr. and Mrs. \\ ent
worth to St. Petersburg ; and and as it wa>
not convtuient that Frances should accompany
them they arranged that she should spend the in
terval in visting some families of their own con
nexion residiug in the country, who promised
to take due charge of her.
The first of these, by name Dunbar, were
worthy people eneungh, bat unfortunately for
Frances, de.*;>erately dull ; and the few neigh
bors they had happened to be as dull as them
selves Tuere were neither ball* nor routs to
keep up the spirit* of the London belle : and a
tiresome drive of six or eight miles touuequal
; iv tiresome dinner party, was but a jxvor -üb
stitnte for the gaieties which the late season
1 had given her a taste for.
Franees was not without resources. She
was a fine niu- .an, and played and -aug ad
oiirablv ; but -be liked to be to! i that site di .
<O. At Dunbar Iloose, nobody cared for
music, no IHMIY listened to her. and her most
rtehtrches UiUties delighted no ody hut her
maid. She was <i-r abois, as the French say.
1 and had made some progress iu the concoct ion
'of a scheme to get away, wheu an improve
ment to A place in her jositiou, from the ar
rival of vonng Vincent Dunbar, the on v son
iof the family He was a lieutenant iu a regi
' meat of infantry that had lately returntd from
the colonies, and had come, at iu duty bound,
to waste teu days or a fortnight of his three
mouth*' leave in the dull home of his ancestors.
As he was an extremely handsome, fashioua
ble-looking youth. Frances, when she went
down to dinner, felt quite revived by the sight
iof him Here was something to dress for, and
. something to sing to ; and although the youug
j lieuteuaut's conversation was not a a int above
the usual standard of his class, it appeared
livelv and witty when compared with that of
his parents. His small colonial experiences
were more interes'ing than Mrs Duubars do
' mestic ones ; and his account of a tiger hunt
' more exciting than his father's history of the
' run he had after a fox France* wa* an e jual
]v welcome resource to him. Here wa* an op
' port unity, quite unexpected, of displaying Li*
l ?piei 1 lid waistcoats : here was a ■ s'ener
forh : * best ssories and oue who did not repay
him in ki'?d. a* hi* father d'd : sr.d here were
a pair of bright eye* that always b* kedbright
' er at his approach ; and a pair of pretty tip*,
that pouted when he talked of go: g away to
fulfil an engagement he bad made to meet
some friend* tit BntrLtcn.
A* was to be exacted. under eircoaßsfaaees
*0 propitious, the v-eng man fell in love—a*
ranch in love a* !>*- coc'd to with any'-cdy Ljt
himself; whilst ~:< parents did uot neglect t">
i hint that he could not do Iwttcr than to :T'>-
eence u suit which the young lady's evident
purtialitr jnsti*v>l. Pleased with the prtvs
j eot of their swi "* .'nuktuc so gx> 1 a mate."",
they even ventured one day a daLi jest txi the
sublet ia the presence of I ranees—a jest
which, be* vr is a wa*. reused act to re Bee -
lion Flirting with a caan, and .angirag foe
I bis admirauco, is xsc 'Lif? I hznag and aur-
PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY AT TOWANDA, BRADFORD COUNTY, PA., BY E. O'MEARA GOODRICH.
" OF DENUNCIATION FROM ANT QUARTER."
rying biro, is another. For the first, Vincent
Dunbar answered exceedingly well ; bat for
the second, he was ttholty flnftt. In spite of
her little weakness, Frances had too moch
sense not to see that the young lieutenant was
an empty-headed coxcomb, and not at all the
man with whom she hoped to spend her years
of discretion —when arrived at them —after an
ample enjoyment of the delights that youth,
beauty, and wealth are calculated to procure
their possessor. Her eyes were opened, in
short ; and the oTdinary effect of this sort of
awakening from an unworthy penchant —for
attachment it could not be called—ensued ;
the temporary liking changed into aversion,
and the attentions that had flattered her before
became hateful. In accordance with this new
state erf her feelings, she resolved to alter her
behavior, in order to dissipate as quickly as
possible the erroneous impression of the fami
ly : whilst at the same time, she privately
made arrangements for cutting short "her visit,
and anticipating the period of her removal to
the house of Mrs. Gaskoiu, betwixt whom and
the Duubars the interval of her friends' ab
sence iu Russia'was to be divided. In spite
of her stratagem, however, she did not escape
what she appreheuded. A'incent's leave had
nearly expired too ; and when the moment
approached that was to separate them he
seized an opportunity of making bis pro
posals.
There is scarcely a woman to be met with
in society, who does not know, from experience,
what a paiufal thing it is to crash the hopes
of a man who is paving her the high compli
ment of wishing to place the happiness of his
life in her keeping ; and when to this source
of embarrassment is added the consciousness of
having culpably raised expectations that she
shrinks from realizing, the situation becomes
doubly distressing. On the present occasiou,
agitated, ashamed, and confused, Frances, in
stead of honestly avowing her fault, which
would have been the safest thing to do, had
recourse to a subterfuge ; she answered, that
she had been betrothed by her father to the
sen of his dearest frieud, aud that she was uot
free to form any other engagement. Of
course. A'iocent pleaded that such a contract
could not be binding on her ; but as. whilst
she declared her determination to adhere to
it, she forbore to add, that wire she at liberty
his position would uot be improved, the young
man and hi* family remained under the per
suasion that this premature engagement was
the ouly bar to his happiuess : and with this
impression, which she allowed him to retaiu,
because it spared him and hersilf pain, he re
turned to his regiment, whilst she, as speedily
as she could, decamped to her uext quarters,
armed with a thousand good resolutions never
a-rain to bring herself iuto such an unpleasant
diiemua.
Mr* Gaskoin's was a different sort of a
honse to the Dnnbars'. It wa? not gay, for
the place was retired and Mrs. Gaskoiu being
in ill health, they saw little company : but
they were young, cheerful, and accomplished
people, and in their society Frances forgot the
vexations she had left Indiind her. She even
ceased to mis* the admiration she was accus
tomed to : what wa- amiable and good iu her
character—and there was much—regained the
ascendant ; her host and hostess congratulat
ed theniselvi- on having -0 agreeable an in-
mate as much as -he did herself on the jndi
ciou* move die had made, till her equanimity
wa* disturi>ed by learning that Mr. Gaskoin
was expecting a visitor, and that this visitor
wa* his old friend aud brother officer. Major
Elliott, the person of all others, A'incent
Dunbar excepted, she had the greatest desire
to avoid
4 * I cannot express how mnch I shoald dis
like meeting him." she said to Mr*. Gaskoin,
to whom she thought it better to explain how
she was situated 44 You must allow me to
keep my room whilst he is here."
•• If you are determined not to see him, I
really think you had better back to the
Duubars for a little while," answered the host
ess ; "but I really think you should stay, and
let thing* take their course. If your aversion
continues, you need uot marry him ; but my
husband tells me he's charming ; and in point
of character, I know no one whoa he esti
mate* so highly."
But Frances objected, that she sbon'd fee!
so embarrassed and awkward.
44 In short, you apprehend that you will ap-
to a great disadvantage," said Mr*.
Gaskoin. 4 ' That i* possibk, certainly ; but as
M cor Elliott is only coming for a day or two, I
think we in ght obviate that d fficuity. by : -
•reducing you as my hn*'oand's neice. Fanny
Gaskoiu. What do yon say? You can de
clare yourself whenever you please, or keep
the secret till he he goes, if yon prefer it."
Frances said she should like it very much :
the scheme would afford them a great deal of
amusement, and any expedient was preferable
to going back to Dnubar House. Neither, as
regarded themselves, was it at a!! difficult of
execution, since they always addressed her as
Fanny or Frances : the danger was with the
servants, who, however cautioned to call the
visitor by no other name than Miss Fanny,
might inadvertantly betray the secret Still,
if thev did, a few blushes aud a hearty laogh
were likely to be the oc'y consequence* of the
disclosure so the little 1 -lot was duly framed
sad sucer-*fuHy executed : Major Elliott not
entertaining the nto-t remote *n.-Ti ion that
this beat.tifnl. fascinating Fanny Gaskoiu wa
it:* own iatete.
Whether they might have fallen in love with
each other had they mot under more prosaic
circumstances, there i* no saying. A? tt was.
thev did *0 almost at flrrt *:gbt. It i* need
less to say. tu.it Major Ediott extended his
visit beyond the day or two he had engaged
for ; aud whea Mr. aui Mrs G saw how
matters were going, they recommended an im
mediate avgwitl of the l.ttie deception t;:at iiad
ueec ' fact -ed. lest *■ ".;e ili-tcced visst r suou*;
iuo.-portunely !<•.{ 00; the secret, intd ab
ready leva endangered more than oace by th-?
forgetf(Mtte of the servaats : but Fraoces
wished toprolot g their dtversion till she shoald
ami some happy roemefi* for the iv waok ;
added to watch, she had n extreme curiosity
to kuow how Major Elliott inteuded to release
himself from the engagement formed by Col.
Seymour, iu which he had tacitly, if not avow
edly, acquiesced. It was certainly tery flat
tering that her charms had prcued sufficiently
powerful to make him forget it; bat that he
should have yielded to the temptation with
out the slightest appearance of a straggle did
surprise her, as indeed, from th"ir knowledge
of his character, it did Mr. and Mrs. Gaskoin.
Not that they would have expected him to
adhere to the contract, if doiug so proved re
pugnant either to himself or the young lady ;
but under all the circumstances of the case,
they wo ald have thought his conduct less open
to exception, if he had deferred entering into
any other engagement till he had seen Miss
Seymour. Ii wes true, that he had net yet
offered bis hand to his friend Gaskion's charm
ing neice ; but neither she, nor any one else, en
tertained a donbt of his intention to do so;
and Frances never found herself alone with
him, that her heart did not beat high with the
expectation of what might be coming.
The progress of love affairs is no measure of
time ; where the at trait, or magnetic rapport
(for perhaps maguetism has something to do
with the mystery), is very strong, one couple
will make as much way in a fortnight as an
other will do in a year. In the present in
stance, Major Elliott's proclivity to fall in love
may have been aided by his persnasion that
she was the neice of his "frieud. Be that as it
may, on the thirteenth day of his visit, Major
Elliott invited his host to join in a walk, in
the course of which he avowed his intention of
offering his hand to Miss Gaskoin, provided
her family were not likely to make any serious
objectiou to the match. "My reason for men
tioning the subject so early is," said he, "that
in the first place, I cannot prolong my visit ;
I have already broken two engagements, and
now, however unwilling. I must be off ; and,
the second place, I felt myself bound to men
tion the subject to you before speaking to
Mis? Gaskoin, because you know how I am
situated in regard to money matters : and that
I canuot, unfortunately, aiake soeh a settle
ment as nvay be expected by her frieuds."
'• I don't think that will be any obstacle to
yonr wishes," answered Mr Oaskoin, with an
arch smile. "If you can find Fanny in the hu
mor. I'll undertake to answer for all the rest.
As for her fortune, she'll have Something, at
all events—but that is a subject, I suppose,
you are too much iu love to discuss."
44 It is one there is 110 use in discussing till
I am accepted," returned Major Eiiiott ; <4 and
i I confess that is a point I am too anxions
about to think of any other."
" Prepare yourself," said Mrs Ga?koiu to
Fran . ' Major Elliott ha* declared him
self t hu*band, and will doubtless take an
opjtort: ry of *ieakiug to you in theconr*e cf
the evening. Of coarse now the troth must
! be disclosed, and I've no doubt it will be a
j very agreeable surprise to him."
When the tea-things were removed, and
Frances, as nsual. was seat at the pianoforte
and Major Elliott, as usnal, taming over the
ieaves of her music-book, she almost lost her
breath with agitation wheu the gentle closing
of a door aroused her to the fact that they
were alone. Mr. and Mrs. Gaskoin had qni
etly slipped dot of the room ; and conscious
that the critical moment was come, she was
making a nervous attempt to follow them.
w hen a hand was laid oa hers, and But
it is quite needless to enter into particulars ;
such scenes do not bear relating. Major El
liott said something, and looked a thousand
things ! Frances blushed and soi led, and
I theu she wept, avowing that her tears were
! tears of joy ; and so engrossed was she with
j the happiness of the moment, that she had ac
tually forgotten the fa!*e colors nnder which
she was appearing, till her lover said : 44 I
have already, my dear Fanny, spoken en the
subject to your uncle."
4 " Now, th-m. for the 'fenowmnt thought
Frances : bat she had formed a little scheme
for bringing this abont. which she ha i forth
with to pnt into execution.
44 But. dear Henry," she said, a* eeated on
the sofa Land in hand, they dilated on their
present happiness and future plans— 44 dear
Henry, there is one t! ing that has rather per
plexed m*. and doe* perplex roe still, a little
—do you kuow, I have been told yea were
j engaged f"
4 " Indeed ! AVho toli von that ?"
4 Well, I don't know ; but I'm *ure I heard
it. It wa* *atd that you were ei-riir'sl to Mi*.*
Seymour—the Miss S-ymoar, that live* with
Mr* Wentworth "
I "Do you knew her ?" inquired Major Elli
ott, interrupting her.
4 A'es, I do—a little.*
1 4 " Only a little V
44 Well, perhaps, I may say I know her
pretty well. Indeed, to confess the truth, I'm
rather intimate with her."
'•That is extremely fortunate." returned
' Major Elliott.
" Thee yon doo ! deny the engagement V
said France*.
4 ' Coionei Seymour, who was ray father's
; friend aud mine, very kindly expressed a wish
before he died. that, provided there was no
. obieet'oa on either -"Me. hi* d'trcrhter arrd I
should be married : but yon *ee. ray dearest
Fanny, a* there h appeos to lie ea ot jeciiou on
both -id-. the scheme, however w e J meant,
i* defeated."
"Oa both side*!" reiterated Frances with
surprise.
'• Yes ; on Wth sides," answered be smil
ing
• Bat how do yon kuow that, when you've
never seen Mis* Seyaiour—us least I thought
you never had ?"
•• Neit'ter have I ; but I hipjieu to know
that *he Its* not the -iigiitest intention cf tuk
iag nie for hex hesbaad."
*' Ou aulu Frances, Uugbiug a! the recol
lection of Lcr o*a violent antipathy to tin* ir
resistible man. who, after all, had taken ber
hear! by srorn—"l *:pj-ra? rra !?--'? so*?<?-
I tow heard that she drdiked the idea of being
tfaraiß" led by cngagereeat to a person she
never saw. *nd wbcto she had m- ie up he?
tsiad she ccuii uot fc>v : L it regiember, Hea
ry, she has never seen you. How do you know
that she might not hove fallen in love with yon
at first sight ?—as somebody else did,'* she abi
ded, playfnlly.
" Because, my dear little girl, 9he fetpfyefrX
to be in love already. She did not wait to see
me, bat wisely gave away her heart when she
met a man that pleased her."
" Bnt yon're mistaken," answered Frances,
beginning to feel alarmed ; " yon are indeed !
I know Frances Seymour has 110 attachment.
I know that till she saw you—l mean that—
I am certain that she has no attachment, nor
ever had any."
" Perhaps yon are not altogether in her con
fidence."
44 Oh, yes I am indeed."
Major Elliott shook his head, and smiled
significantly. 44 Rely on it" he said, 44 that
what I tell yon is the fact ; bnt yon have pro
bably not seen Miss Seymonr very lately, which
would sufficiently account for your ignorance
of her secret. lam told that she is extremely
handsome and charming, and that she sings
divinely.'
Five minutes earlier, Frances would bare
been delighted with this testimony to her at
tractions ; and would have been ready with a
repartee about the loss he would sustain in re
linquishing so many perfections for her sake ;
but now her heart was growing faint with ter
ror, and her tongue clove to the roof of her
month. Thoughts that would fill pages darted
through her brain like lightning—dreadfnl pos
sibilities, that she had never foreseen nor
thought of.
Vincent Dnnbar's regiment had been in In
dia ; she knew it was one of the seventies ; bat
she had either never heard the exact number,
or she had sufficiently attended to the subject
to know which it was. Major Elliott's regi
ment had also been in India ; and it was the
7fith. Snppose it were the same, and that
the two officers were acquainted—and snppose
they had met since A'incent's departure from
Dunbar House ! The your.g man had occa
sionally spoken to her of his brother officers ;
she remembered Poole, aud Wainwright, and
Carter ; and name of Elliott he had certainly
not mentioned ; bat it was naturally of hi?
own frinds and companion? he spoke, not of
the field-officer*. Then, when she told him
that had been betrothed by her father, she
had not *aid to whom ; but might he not, by
some uulueky chance, have fouud that ont ?
And miuht not an explanation have enned 1
Could Major Elliott have distinctly discov
ered the expression of her features, he would
have seen that it was something more than
perplexity that kept her silent ; but the light
fell obscurely on the seat t'lev ocopied, and he
suspected \ othing bnt that she was puzzled
aßd surprised.
4i I see you are very enrioa? to learn the se
cret," he said: 44 and if my own, you shohld not
pine in ignorance, I assure you : bnt as it is a
yonng lady's, I am bonnd to keep it till she
chooses to disclose it herself. However, I
hope yonr curiosity will soon lie satisfied, for
I have ascertained that Mr. ami Mrs Went
worth are both to be in England almost imme
diately—they have been some time on the con
tinent—and then we shall come to a general
understanding. In the meantime, my dearest
Fanny "
But Frances, unable longer to control her
agitation, took advantage of a slight noise in
the hall, to say that Mr. and Mrs. Gaskoin
were coming ; and before he bad time to finish
his sentence, she started to her feet, and rush
ed out of the room.
On the other side of the bail wa? Mrs. Gas
koin's boudoir, where she and her husband
were sitting over the fire, awaiting the result
of the lete-a-tete in the drawing room.
44 AA'ell f said they, rising a,3the door open
ed and a pale face looked in. 44 Is it ail set
tled r
44 Ask me nothing now, I beseech you !"
raid Frances, 44 I'm going to my room : tell
Major Elliott I am rot well ; ray I'm agita
ted—anything von like ; but remember he
still thinks me Faonv Onkojn—■ "
44 Bnt my dear girl, I cannot permit that de
ception t J be carried any further ; it has last
ed too long already," raid Mr. Gaskoiu.
44 Only to night !" said Franees
-44 It is not fair to Major Elliott," srged
Mrs. Gaskoio.
44 On'r to ro'ght !" reiterated Frances
4 * There ! he's coming ; I hear hi* step in
the hall ! liet mo ont this war j" and <0 say
ing. she darter! uot of diwr that led to the
bacbstair*. and disappeared.
"• She bus refused him !" said Mr?. Gaskoin
44 I confess I am amazed."
Bat Major Elliott met them with a smiliug
face 44 AVbaf has become of Frances V raid
he.
44 Bhe rushed ro to a? in 3 state of rio'ent
agitation, and hegg*d we wonld tGI you that
she i* not well, and i* gone to her rown. I'm
afraid the result of your interview has not been
what we expected."
44 On the contrary." returned M*j. Elliott
yon n?ot both conaratnlate me oc my good
fortune." " Silly giri !" said Mr. Ga-koln.
shaking his friend heartily by the hand. 44 I
see what it is ; she is ncrvuos about a little
deception we hare bom practicing on vox"
44 A deception !"
" Why. yon see my dear fellow, wfcto I
tol l Frar-e* that yr were coining aere, she
ole eted to meeting you "
44 Indeed ! Oa what account T
4 * You Lave ;c-ver su-peete i anytl ig ?"
said Mr. Ga-kuin, scarcely repressing ing laugh
ter.
"Sii-spectc-i anything ? No."
44 It ba? never by d .ocr occured to you ilia;
this bewitching neice of u.ine is "
44 I* what I"
44 V -cr bet.rotheti tuiy, Fran
ces ? yav ur "
Major EHcU's cheeks aid lips turnet! -ever
al sh T-ies paler ; !>et the itanoie? were no;
i:glstecl, aud fnetvl- uot remark the
thaage.
44 Frances Seyisoarhe echoed.
" Thai h the preciae -Late of cause, I assure
yon ;'"and then Mr. Gaskoin proceeded toex
-1 lain bow th, d-.-ep'ix! caae to be pra tice*:
VOL. XVJIL—NO. 13.
" I gave in to it," said he, " though 1 do uot
like jests of that sort, becawe I themjrht, as
ray wife did, that you were uiuch more likely
to take a fancy to "each other, if 70U did not
know who she was, than if yotr met tinder all
the embarrassment of such an awkward rela
tion."
During this little discourse, Major Elliott
had time to recover fmn the shock ; und be
ing a man of resolute calmness and great self
possession—which tjuallties, by the way, form
ed a considerable element iu his attractions
the remainder of the evening was passed with
out, any circumstance calculated to awaken the
snspicions of his host aud hostess, further than
that a certain gravity of tone and manner,
when they spoke of Frances, led them to ap
prehend that he was not altogether pleased
with the jest that had been practiced.
" We onght to have told him the moment
tre saw that he was pleased with her ; but,
foolish child, she would not let as,'', said Mr.
Gaskoin to his wife.
" .She must make her peace frith him to-mor
row," relumed the laIy ; but alas : when they
came down to breakfast on the followiug mor
ning, Mojor Elliott was gone, having left a
few iioe3 to excuse his sudden departure, which
he said, he had only anticipated by a few hours
as, in any case, hie must hare left thein that
afternoon. .
By the same morning's post there arrived a
letter from Vincent Dnnbar, addressed to Miss
Seymour. Its contents were as follows :
" Mv dearest, dearest Frances—l should
have written to you ten days ago to tell you
the joyfnl news —jou little guess what—but
that 1 bail applied for an extension of leave
on urgent private affairs, and ex[>ected every
hour to get it. But they refused me, be hang
ed to them ! So I write to you, my darling,
to tell von that it's all right—l mean between
yon and me. lam not a very good hand at
an explanation paper, my education in the art
of compodtiou having been somewhat neglect
ed but vou must know that ohl Elliott whom
your dad wanted yon to marry, is our senior
Major. Well, when I came down here to
meet Toole, as I had premised—his governor
keeps hounds you
—I was as da!! ns dish-water ; I was. I assure
you : and whenever there was nothing going
on, I used to take out the verges you wrote,
and the music you copied for me, to look at ;
and one day, who should come in but Elliott,
who was staying with his governor at West
C'iiff, where the old gentleman has taken a
house. Well, you know, I told yon what a
mad-cap fellow Toole is ; and what should he
do, but tell Elliott that I was going stark mad
for a girl that couldn't have me because her
dad had engaged her to somebody else ; and
then he showed him the music that was lying
on the table with yonr name on it. So yoa
mar gues" how Elliott started, and all the
questions he asked me about yon, and about
onr acquaintance and oar love-making, and all
the rest of it. And, of course, I told him the
truth, and showed him the dear lock of hair
you gave me ; and the little notes yon wrote
me the week 1 ran up to London ; for Elliott's
an honorable fellow, and I knew it was ail right
And it is all right, my darling ; for he says
he wouldn't stand in the ray of our happinesa
for the world, or marry a woman whose affec
tions were not all his own. And he'll peak
to your aunt for as, and get it all settled as
soon as she comes back." Ac., Ac.
The paper dropped from poor Frances Sey
mour's hand®. She comprehenikd enough of
Major Elliott's character to see that ail was
over. But for the nufortanate jest they had
practiced on him. an explanation would neees
nrilr hare ensued the moment he mentioned
Vincent's name to her : hut that unlucky de
ception had complicated the mischief beyond
repair. It was now too late to tell him that
she did not love Vincent : be would only thick
her false or fickle. A woman who could a:t
as she had done, or as she appeared to hare
done, was no wife for Henrr Elliott.
There is no saying. but it is jest possible,
that au entire confidence placed in Mr. lift—
koin might hare led to a happier iesue : but
her own conviction that her position was irre
coverable, her hopelessness arv't her pride c!
Ed her lips. Her friend® saw that there wa<
something wfong ; and when a few lines from
Major Elliott announced his immediate depar
ture for Paris, they concluded that some
sifange mv-tcrv had divided the lovers, and
ckreded the hepefu! future that for a short pe
riod had promised so brightly.
Vincent Itanbar was not a man to break
his hearth at the disappoinmeot. which it Is
needless to ®sy awaired hi:n. Long year- af
terwards, when Sir Henry Eliiut was not on
ly married, but had daughter- coming on', in
trrrkl. hr. owe day *t a dinner pr*y. at next
to a pale faced middle-aged lady, whose still
beautiful feature*. combined with the quiet,
almost grave elegance of her toilet, had al
ready attracted his attention m the drawing
room It was a countenance of perfect seren
ety : but no o'-'erving eye could look at it with
out feeling that that was a serenity net
born of ;n, but of sadness—a calm that had
•uccecdrd a*sforrn—a peace woo by a great
buttle Sir llenry felt pleased when be aw
that 'be kjrtaße® of the dinner table had plac
ed him beside this iady . and they bad not
be*n long seated before he took an opportuni
ty of addressing hr. Her eyel d- fell a® she
turned to answer him : but there ru a sweet
moarnfa! smile on her iip—a that awoke
trc.ncr recollection. and made his heart for a
stand stiiL For s *ne minute- he did not
si-eak again, nor *iw either ; when he did it
was to ask her, in a low gentle voice, to take
wine with ha. Tec lady's band shook vl-ibiy
as she raised Ler glass : bat. after a short in
tc.-va*. the <tir.r.~" and live pang j*asse>l away
and they convert. ] calmly oa general suV us
like other people in society.
Whoa S r Hcury returned to the drawia'-
rooai, the pale-faced lady was L'one : a>i *
few il4j afterwards, the Martimg P-tt an-
anKKjr ib tie S K tnre? that Mt? S*y
air had left London for the evuilacut
BS~TTre tb-MtrhtieSiaadimpitte"'! shit ?ae.r
Tfs to h': r*f rather than labor to arert it