the emptiness of the apartments speedily disclosed, Mrs. Moonshine lost no time in inquiring the name of the stranger who had been announced. But no sooner had she received intelligence from a lad who worked on her premises (for the Captain had withheld his name from the house servants) that an officer named O'Donogan had been seen to come towards Moonshine Court on that morning, than the dreadful reality burst at once upon her mind, and the consternation it produced was immense. Not a moment was lost in sending for the constable, who was to find out the scene of action if he could; but on inquiry it was discovered, that the civil authority himself had gone to see the fight," and Mrs. Moonshine was in despair. But the place of combat had been discovered by these means, and another guardian of the peace having been procured from an adjoining hamlet, a vast number of persons, headed by the civil power, set forth to prevent, if possible, the intended transgression. Nor could the anxious mother remain at home, she was too conscious of her exertions in exciting her son against Mortimer, from the first, to mistake his early exploit. The expression of "seeing the fight," made the conclusion irrevocable, and urged to the highest her already agitated spirits.

This errand of peace, however, had been partially anticipated. For Carl Jones and his friends perceiving the fresh marks of hostility which indeed were visible enough in the two seconds, came forward and remonstrated heartily against their intentions. It was even proposed to disarin them, but no adventurer was found hardy enough to accomplish this latter project. The bluff manners of the blacksmith, nevertheless, could not be suppressed."As far as a fight or so, "said he, "between people as really have had a quarrel together, why, really, (although I'm no friend to these here popguns neither,) but as I said, really one wouldn't go to hinder it, maybe. They've had a dispute, whatever it be, and, why let them settle it. But here you've two gentlemen here who were talking and smiling together just now, all of a sudden ready to cut each other's throats without any reason, or any thing! It ma'nt be."

Much as this eloquent harangue, accompanied as it was with corresponding gestures, astonished the Colo

nel and Captain O'Donogan, they were no less annoyed and surprised by the rapid and unceremonious advance of the police, or rather of the constable with his posse.

Not to dwell upon events which the reader must of course anticipate; the duel was absolutely put and end to (at least for that day). Master Albert was surrendered to his disconsolate parent, who hurried him from the field, Carl Jones and some of his choice comrades adjourned to the village alehouse to spread the news, and Roger Mortimer retired to his house, not quite in good humour with himself for the part he had taken, and still less satisfied with his antagonist, whose reputation for valour suffered an irretrievable disgrace amongst the villagers after the awkward event of that morning.

We may remember, that in the early part of the transaction just related, a well-dressed man had been pointed out by Colonel Ball, as the intended opponent of his friend. This was James Priminheere. Such had been the distraction of his mind, that he himself scarcely knew the real impulse which had urged him to the field. He had passed a night of agitation, torn by contending fits of remorse and fury, till at length the light of morning dawned upon his sleepless pillow; but curiosity, which urged on the needless crowd, found no place in the breast of the Calvinist; he remained awhile almost motionless on the field, anxious to advance and crush the quarrel, but withheld by deeper feelings of revenge. The scene passed rapidly away while he hesitated, and he retired with the bitter reflection, that if Mortimer's life were no longer in jeopardy, he had not been instrumental in hindering the threatened accident. But conscience-awakened as he thus was, resentment for the loss of his suit soon revived, together with the reflection that his estate needed the aid of Jane Hamilton's fortune, so that he soon determined on the employment of new measures for the attainment of his wishes. How these fresh designs were accomplished, will be related in the next chapter.

CHAPTER IV.

STRATAGEMS.

*Visiter.-Is Mr. Johnson at home?

Servant.-No, Sir.

"Visiler.-Very well. I had something of importance to tell him, but its of no consequence.

"Servant.-Oh! Sir, will you please to wait a little, I believe master is at home," Original Dialogues.

It was on a gay green morning in the month of April, that a numerous band of children were seen marching two and two towards Alderbury Park house. They seemed cheerful as the day which beamed upon them in its splendour, and healthy as the face of Nature which was budding around them. Their dress, neat but unadorned, plainly betokened that the hand of benevolence had clothed them. The closely shorn hair, imprisoned as it were by a bonnet as trimly fitted, and fringed by the plain snow-white cap-the simple tucker and flounceless frock-the tall stout shoe, whence sandal never rose all bore testimony to the care of some benefactress, on whose person one might almost shudder to behold an ornament.

ers.

This was Mrs. Hamilton's birth-day, and she had determined on regailing her school with a grand treat of cake and wine after the ceremony of morning prayA large party of her friends were staying at the mansion, amongst them one or two highly orthodox clergymen, and these in particular anticipated no small delight from the opportunity of asking a few questions of the children, with a view of ascertaining the extent of their improvement. These expectations were much heightened by the approach of a group of boys who had long been under the patronage of the Rector. This party could not boast the neat appearance and precise regularity of Mrs. Hamilton's school. In spite of no ordinary scolding by the dame, sundry cainings by the master, and grave admonitions by Dr. Dundrosy himself, it was impossible to maintain a due degree of order amongst this band of youths. One might see a surly shuffling gait, a reckless ill-tempered brow, a slovenly carelessness, mingled with such signs of dissatisfaction as imparted a general air of discredit to these pupils of

the unfortunate Rector. Out of respect, however, for the clergyman of her parish, possibly too from a keen sense of the contrast between her school and his, Mrs. Hamilton invited the village boys to share the festivity of the day.

The gouty Rector himself had determined to tax his legs to the utmost on that morning, if not for the purpose of introducing his scholars, at least with the fondest hope of an invitation to dine at Alderbury Park in the evening. Dr. Dundrosy had been the incumbent of the living for fifty years, and he had been heard to declare on that very morning, that he never saw the children turn out in such good condition before. "My predecessor," he ejaculated, "never thought of such a sight as this."

The hostess of Alderbury soon appeared to welcome her guests, but the customary greetings had scarcely subsided, when symptoms of insurrection began to manifest themselves amongst the boys, and it was with great difficulty that the Doctor could manage, by alternate threats and coaxings, to appease them. He was relieved, however, from his embarrassment by Mrs. Hamilton, who hastened to compliment her fellow-labourer in the duties of education.

"Dr. Dundrosy," said the lady, "I am quite delighted to see you with us this morning; every one is admiring your thriving group. And don't you think that the girls are very neat? I am sure that you will give them a good character for their attendance at church.' "Very regular, Madam; a very nice school, indeed, and very orthodox."

"They can never do very wrong, Doctor Dundrosy, if they adhere to doctrines inculcated from our pulpits," said Mrs. Hamilton.

"Right, Madam, the good old Christian principles," returned the Doctor. "My two immediate predecessors, Madam, " continued Dundrosy, sighing over the sacred recollections of Mr. Dolittle and Dr. Venezun, " were incumbents here for nearly half a century each."

"And pray-may I ask-Dr. Dundrosy," said the Honourable Mr. Toughness, a dashing youth of the modern blood, "what do you do with these children when they have done school? how do you employ them?"

"Certainly," replied the Minister, "by all means; I shall be happy to inform you. Mrs. Hamilton, who is a pattern of diligence and zeal in the neighbourhood, will be kind enough first to inform us of the occupations of her pupils.'

"Why should I take precedence of my Rector?” exclaimed the lady, not highly pleased at the reference.

"Because," returned the Doctor, "the ladies always have the priority." The delight of having relieved himself by so elegant a speech so elevated Dr. Dundrosy, that he was enabled to survey the interfering stripling with a scrutiny accompanied by some degree of dignity.

"Well, since I am called upon," said Mrs. Hamilton with an air of ceremony, "I have no objection to tell; they go to work, Sir, after school."

66

"And the boys too, Doctor, I suppose?" observed Mr. Toughness, as inflexible as before. "Let me ask a question of the children,-may I?" continued the honourable guest with a tone of awful simplicity.

The Rector rather awkwardly signified his consent. "Do you like school, my little friend?" asked Mr. Toughness of the lad who stood nearest to him.

"Not over much, Sir," was the unpolished, though not uncivil reply.

"You like your master, the reverend Rector, don't you my boy?" said the youth to another of the band. "Oh yes, Sir," returned the boy archly, as if conscious of the immediate presence of his master.

"That's a good lad," said Dundrosy, quite overjoyed. "Come, attend to me, boy," resumed the Doctor, addressing himself to a third. "What are you?" "A radical, Sir.".

"A what?" the Doctor intonated with a struggle, which might be token either ignorance or dismay.

"I am a radical, Sir, and so is my father; and we're all radicals, Sir, all the family, and always was.

"What's your name, you- ?" Doctor Dundrosy was choked by his indignant feelings. "He shall be turned out of the school instantly before all the boys, as a disgrace to my school," roared out the Rector, as soon as he had recovered a little.