any thing so rude of that divine sex, which has the honour of possessing you amongst its members. I only mean to say, that I have liked a great many ladies at first exceedingly well, whom I was not able to like afterwards; though, on the other hand, I have known some I could not bear on first acquaintance, that I came to like very well; but somehow, I always stopped exactly at that point of light and shade where friendship begins to fade into love."

"Fades into love! an impertinent expression. But if But if you had ever been in love, you would not jest at it in this manner. Ah! perhaps you have a quarrel with our sex on account of some coquette or other ?”

"Oh! on the contrary, I delight in coquettes. All the agreeable ladies I have ever been acquainted with have been decided coquettes. Why, I think coquetry is the ornament of your sex, and the security to ours."

" Cousin,

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Cousin, it is lucky for you I am so amiable, or I would call you names. But I pronounce you innocent of ever having been in love. Do you know I begin to suspect you yourself of being a male coquette? However, I don't believe you mean what you say; you are not in earnest-I see you are not."

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My dear cousin," replied Hugh, gaily, "I cannot say whether I am in jest or earnest. I am always puzzled when I talk of those subjects with a lady, to decide whether I mean any thing, or if any thing, how much."

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Listen," said she, with much gravity, you will be ere long punished for this. You will have a bitter atonement to make to the little god of love, for treating him with such profane levity."

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Pray Heaven your prophecy be fulfilled!" said he.

'Much rather I should die,
Than your prediction prove a lie,'

spiteful

spiteful as it may be. But I should like of all things in the universe to fall desperately in love with some piece of angelic perfection; to sigh by the hour, and to know all the joys and woes of real, genuine, romantic love. Alas! I begin to fear that I am incapable of it, or else that the blind little god has got his eyes open in this age of intellect. His sceptre has departed, his wand is broken." He added"I am afraid Byron was right, after all, melancholy as the reflection is

Oh! love, no habitant of earth thou art,
An unseen seraph, we believe in thee,' &c.

Heigh ho!"

"Oh! there are some hopes of you yet, if you quote Byron, and sigh such gentle sighs. But speaking of Byron, you saw him in Italy, and you wrote me a most delightful account of your visit to him. But now you shall tell me more about him when we get home. But stay-see what o'clock it is."

"Seven to a moment, says my watch." "Is it possible!" exclaimed Rosine. "Then turn your horse's head, and follow

Ride for your life, for breakfast will be ready in twenty minutes, and our dear aunts will be in the depths of despair on your account and mine, if it should get cold."

And wheeling about, she gave the signal to Candide, and he started off like the wind. Hugh, after staring for a minute to see her flying along at such a pace, bethought himself that it was time to spur up his proud bay, and he put him to the top of his speed.

But he gained nothing on the lightfooted Candide. It will require a fleeter steed to overtake him. Our hero began to feel his honour and that of his horse at stake, as he saw he was falling behind, and he cheered him with his voice, and spurred him in turn, till the poor fellow strained every nerve to gain the point. All in vain; he still falls behind, and Ro

sine, looking round, entirely at her ease, sportively beckoned him to come up. At length, at a turn of the road, he was fairly run out of sight, just as she came in view of the cottage. She then held up and galloped slowly to the gate, where she sat laughing at Hugh as he approached at the most furious rate possible. He did not slacken it till he came to her side, and his horse was panting and covered with foam.

After a hearty laugh on both sides, and Hugh had scolded her for running away from him, and she in turn had scolded him for riding his horse so hard as to distress him, they entered the house and found breakfast waiting for them. They went to the table with such appetites, as we idle city epicures can never, never

know.

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CHAP.