cheeks. She had no time to ask any questions on the subject, for, at that moment, Miss Southwell tapped at her door, in all the animation of dress and beauty, and radiant as the finest jewels she possessed could make her. Linking her arm within that of Geraldine, she cried-" Comecome away; my father and mother have been waiting this half-hour."

This was not exactly true; yet still it answered the desired end of hurrying Geraldine, and drying up the tear of sympathy that had but just moistened her cheek. The young ladies tripped down stairs, laughing together, and were in a few minutes in the carriage, and on their way to Limerick. Sir Charles Southwell, who was very attentive to his duties as steward of the ball, thought it right to set out rather early. As the party entered the assembly-room, their numbers were increased by the accession of Cobham, Olivia, and Diana Pendennis, to whom lady Louisa had graciously given permission to appear

under

under her auspices. Shortly afterwards, a young man of most prepossessing appearance bowed, with an air of peculiar respect, to lady Louisa Southwell, and was, by her ladyship, presented to Matilda as lord Templemore. His lordship immediately requested the honour of her hand for the first country-dance and quadrille.

"Who is that tall, handsome young man?" asked a gentleman of his partner. "Look! lady Louisa is parading him up and down between herself and her beautiful daughter."

"Don't you know lord Templemore?" the young lady replied. "He is but lately come to his title. Surely you must have heard of lady Louisa Southwell's activity in the great Templemore cause!"

"A devilish clever woman that lady Louisa Southwell!" observed another gentleman: "as good a law opinion, they say, as any in Ireland. This may be almost called a lord of her creation."

"I am told," resumed the young lady

who

who first spoke, "that it was quite a romantic story. Poor lady Templemore was cruelly wronged-disowned by her husband-forced to reside abroad, where she brought up this boy, in such ignorance, that, though he looks like a Milesian prince, he can hardly read or write. She was discovered by the indefatigable lady Louisa, assisted in recovering her rights. on the death of lord Templemore, and-" "And the young lord Impromptu," added the gentleman, laughing," will no doubt be assisted to a wife, in the person of one or other of the lovely Miss Southwells."

It seemed uncertain to which of the cousins this prophecy might refer. Amidst a profusion of native beauty of the most delicate and interesting style, Geraldine and Matilda were unanimously pointed out as the reigning belles of the assembly. Still, though the young lord paid Matilda every proper attention, he appeared so satisfied to be released, and so anxious for

VOL. I.

I

an

an introduction to her still-lovelier cousin, that Miss Southwell, whose experience taught her the first dances are those of compliment, and the ensuing ones those of choice, felt by no means secure of her new conquest. As lady Louisa and Miss Southwell both seemed to turn a deaf ear to his request that they would present him to Geraldine, lord Templemore applied to sir Charles Southwell, who instantly gratified him, with that polite and ready attention which characterized his manners. As steward of a ball, or conductor of a fete, sir Charles was in his element. He prepossessed every stranger the moment he appeared: his sweet, ingenuous, open countenance, on which no trace of any bad passion seemed ever to have rested-his noble figure, and his manners, at once dignified and pleasing, pointed him out as the object of attention equally to the young and the old. But not even the exertions of sir Charles Southwell could quiet the apprehensions, or sa

tisfy the demands, of all the mammas in

the room.

66

Arethusa, my love, whom are you engaged to? I hope you are engaged," said Mrs. Gore, of Mount Amaranth, to her blooming daughter.

"Yes, indeed, mamma, I am engaged for the whole evening, and have refused captain Aimworth and captain Rochford: I am going to dance the next quadrille with sir George Luttrell."

"But I don't see him, my dear: surely he cannot have forgot you; yet the sets. are forming-it is time he should come and claim you-you will not have a place." And, unable to sit still any longer, the anxious mother took the arm of the fair Arethusa, and walked with her up the room, in order to catch the eye of the gay young baronet, to whom she shortly af terwards gladly resigned her charge. Very different were the feelings with which lady Opium, who had brought an awkward and ill-dressed daughter to the ball, addressed

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