his heart so strongly, that he could not bring himself to part with it. Several times it appeared that her soft glances had subdued his selfish nature; but just as he was on the point of giving up the object of his miserly regard, a look at its glittering links would again awake his avarice, and he would hesitate about its disposal.

"Good morning to you, Gregory Vellum," said Joanna, as she turned upon her heel, with the intention of departing by the door that led into the street.

"Nay, nay sweetest!" exclaimed the old man, as he hastened after her, and held her by the arm, "you go not yet; I part not with you in this way. Shall I have the kiss you promised me?"

"By my troth you shall," replied she; "but why ask you? You love your paltry gold better than me, or you would seem less loth to part with it; so I'll e'en have none of you."

"There is the chain, sweetheart," said he, eagerly throwing it round her neck, "and now for the kiss-the kiss-the kiss-my angel upon earth!—the kiss, sweet mistress Joanna; throw your soft arms around me, and press me your delicate lips."

"There's my hand," quietly replied she, as, all impatience and eagerness, spite of her retreating, he advanced towards her, intent upon having her in his embrace.

"Your hand!" he exclaimed, with some surprise, as he still strove to approach her more closely, "'tis your rosy mouth that I would have, sweetheart."

“Nay, nay; a bargain is a bargain," said she gravely; "you gave me a chain, and I promised you should have a kiss for it. There was nothing said about my lips; and I intend only, as a great favour, that you should kiss my hand; so, fulfil your contract :here's my hand."

At this, nothing could exceed the change that took place in the old man's countenance. His delight and impatience forsook him of a sudden. From being exceeding restless in all his limbs, he stood as still as a stone, and he looked perfectly confounded, and unable to say a word.

"Well, if you will not, mayhap another time will suit you better," observed Mistress Joanna very courteously, as she proceeded towards the door. "I thank you for the chain very heartily; 'tis a gift worthy of the gravity of your affections; and I know not, if you go on making a shew of such liberal behaviour, to what extent you may be rewarded. You ought, however, to be aware, that a prudent woman granteth but small favours at first; she will not give largely, or she may be undone straight. I wish you an increasing generosity; and with this desire, worthy Gregory Vellum, I do most delightedly take my leave of you." And thereupon she made a curtsey to the ground, and with one of the sweetest of smiles, departed from the office.

"Fool! dolt! idiot! madman!" cried he vehemently, as he beat his head with his clenched fists, "to be tricked, cozened, and imposed upon, in this barefaced manner, by a woman. Oh! Gregory Vellum, Gregory Vellum, what a very ass thou art.! My chain of Venice gold is lost irretrievably, that I took for a debt of fifty crowns,

and for which Master Ingot, the goldsmith, would have given me forty at any time. Oh! fool, that can only cozen boys and folks afar off, thou art cheated past all redemption!" Then he went and sat upon the stool, and leaned his head upon his hand, apparently in a monstrous melancholy humour. "Fifty crowns gone for nothing. Oh!" exclaimed he frantically, beating his heels against the stool, and then wringing his hands; "what a poor, wretched, miserable lunatic am I, to think of courting at my time of day. Such a brilliant chain! Oh! most preposterous idiot! fifty crowns! Oh! thou incomprehensible blockhead! I could beat out my brains with a whisp of straw, out of very vexation." And thereupon he jumped off the stool, being perfectly restless, and unable to contain himself, and did begin to shuffle up and down the room with his stick, flinging himself about, ejaculating all sorts of condemnations upon his folly and insanity, and looking with a physiognomy as woeful and enraged as ever miser exhibited at the loss of a part of his gain.

Presently he stood still of a sudden; for a voice-a rich, clear, mellifluous voice-was heard singing the following words :

"A murrain on him! that's my pestilent nephew," exclaimed the old man, in high dudgeon; "but I marvel infinitely how he got in; —or hath he been in the house all the time?" He stopped, for the singer proceeded.

"A pernicious varlet, will he never have done with his coxcombical singing," cried Gregory Vellum: but the singer continued his song.

"I gave my Love a golden ring,

To prize above each meaner thing,
And on her finger bade it rest,
Whilst truth had footing in her breast.

'Dear heart, I vow,

Thou hast me now,

Said she, all blushing to her brow;

'The sterling ore

Lasts evermore,

And binds fond hearts, unbound before.""

"Oh! the unwhipped rogue! he sings of love at his age," exclaimed the old miser, in seeming consternation. "Well, who can doubt the wickedness of the world after this! But I'll trounce him, I'll warrant me. Francis!" he bawled, as loud as he could, first opening the door, that he might be heard, and then muttering to himself, and crying out by turns, proceeded thus. "A young profligate, to think of singing love ditties at his time of life;-was ever such iniquity in this world? Francis!" again screamed he, with all the strength of his lungs. "An I do not make him hear, I'll make him feel. Francis! Francis! Francis! I say.'

"Did you call, uncle?" said the youth quietly, as he presented himself at the door.

“Call, sirrah!” replied the old man, shaking with rage-"Call, varlet! have I not been bawling, and squalling, and tearing my lungs piecemeal after thee for these two hours past."

"I did not hear you till this moment, or I should have come down," observed the youth.

"Hear me !" exclaimed Master Vellum vehemently, "how couldst thou expect to hear me, thou reprobate! when thou wert making the place ring with thy amorous ballads! Be that proper matter to sing at an honest scrivener's! Why, the passengers will take the house for a bagnio. Fie upon thee! when I was of thy age I sung psalms and godly hymns-but I was noted as a youth of a most modest discretion. What art thou noted for, I wonder? for impudency, disobediency, and all manner of dishonesty."

"Dishonesty, uncle !" said Master Francis, with unaffected sur

prise.

"Ay, dishonesty, sirrah! Look here!" and he took from his vest the dirty rag that hath previously been desril ed, and begun carefully to unfold it-"here be a foul robbery thou hast committed. How didst get these fine pieces of candle I found in thy room? Hast no shame? What, pilfer from thy poor yet too liberal uncle, when candles stand me in fifty crowns to the pound!"

"Fifty crowns, uncle!" exclaimed his nephew with increasing astonishment, "why, I bought them myself of Tobias Mottle, the chandler over the way, and then they had only rose to threepence for the pound, in consequence of the exceeding scarcity of kitchen stuff."

"Well, no matter, sirrah, no matter!" cried the old man, in no way abating his passion," thou hast robbed me that is manifest. Thou hast taken advantage of the natural generosity of my disposition, and art in the habit of consuming my substance without my privity. I tell thee it be infamous-I tell thee it be felony-I tell thee it be hanging, whipping, and the pillory. What a monster of ingratitude thou art, to defraud me of such exquisite gold of Venice of which they are made."

"Gold of Venice, uncle!" exclaimed the youth, almost inclined

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to laugh at the idea; nay, if they be not made of the most notorious tallow, I am a heathen."

"Tush! I forgot," replied Gregory Vellum, striking his stick violently against the floor. "But it availeth thee nothing. Thou art a thief."

"I am no thief, sir," said the youth, reddening in the face; "I do confess that I took what you have in your hand, that I might have light to assist me in my studies; but if the loss grieve you, they cannot be worth more than a halfpenny, and you may either keep them, or I will pay you for them."

"Pay, pay! why, how now? who talks of paying? where dost get the money from, fellow?" rapidly enquired the old man, fixing on his nephew a searching and inquisitive look; " and how camest thou by those heathenish books of which thou hast such goodly store?”

"I had them from a friend," replied Master Francis," and I am obliged to be indebted to the same quarter for such assistance as my necessities require-which are caused by those who should have taken care that I lack nothing."

"Lack!—what dost lack? thou ungrateful vagabond!" demanded his uncle angrily, yet not ill pleased that such things were not done at his cost," do I not find thee a most comfortable home?-do I not keep thee in excellent wearing apparel?—and as for eating, didst thou not eat right heartily yesterday at dinner of a most princely dish of cabbage and bacon?"

"As for the home, uncle," said the youth, "your penuriousness and ill-temper make it anything but comfortable. For the clothing -when you have worn your doublet threadbare, you think it good enough for me;-and as for my dinner yesterday, it consisted of a piece of rusty bacon, scarcely big enough for the baiting of a rattrap, with about as much cabbage as might serve for a caterpillar's breakfast."

"Oh, thou unnatural prodigal!" exclaimed Master Vellum, lifting up his hands and eyes in amazement. "This comes of writing verses! this comes of singing love songs! O' my life, I have a monstrous inclination to beat thee."

"You had better not, uncle," said the other calmly.

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Nay, but I will, caitiff!" replied he, lifting up his stick and approaching his nephew threateningly.

"If you do," said Master Francis, his face now as pale as it a moment since was rubicund, "if you do, I'll give you such a shaking you never had since you were born."

"Hub-bub-boo!" exclaimed the old man, starting back, stammering, several paces, as if the threat had taken his breath away; and there he stood, with stick uplifted and mouth open, looking the very picture of horror and surprise. In fact, the conduct of his nephew had come upon him with a most perfect astonishment; for the natural modesty of the youth's disposition had hitherto made him bear his uncle's ill humours with meekness; but possibly the wine he had drunk with Master Shakspeare had put a bolder spirit into his nature. There, however, did he stand, pale and melancholy, yet

resolute; with arms folded, and eyes with an unmoved fixedness resting upon his terrified kinsman.

"Oh, the monstrousness of the age!" at last ejaculated Gregory Vellum, "Oh, the horrid villany! But thou shalt troop for it. I will get rid of thee straight. Thou shalt find other uncles to give thee house room, and feed and clothe thee, thou pestilent varlet! for I'll have none of thee. Was it not enough that thou shouldst rob me of fifty crowns-tush! what was I a saying?-of so much excellent candle-but that thou shouldst threaten to give me a shaking of right exquisite Venetian workmanship-Alas! these villanies have undone me! I know not what I say." Then wildly knocking the palm of his hand against his forehead, the old man rushed out of the room, shouting "Oh, my fifty crowns! my fifty crowns!" leaving Master Francis in as great a wonder as Master Francis had a moment since put his miserly kinsman.

It was in a private closet in the queen's palace of Whitehall, that two of her majesty's maids of honour were assisting each other in attiring, and were conversing with that confidence that denoteth perfect friendship. The one, the taller of the two, was of a most majestic shape, with a countenance of exquisite softness, impressed with a touch of reflection, that at times made her seem somewhat of a reserved and melancholy disposition: but in truth she was a most handsome woman, and of an excellent fair complexion. The other appeared both shorter and younger; her face was dark, yet did the roses bloom in it most becomingly; an arched mouth she had, dimpled on one cheek, and as for her eyes, they were the most laughing, roguish, brilliant pair of twinklers that ever pretty wench was blessed withal. Of these fair damsels, the first was Elizabeth Throckmorton, and the latter, her cousin Alice.