peared to border upon coquetry, more than the innocence of her heart and the rectitude of her principles would have. permitted.

But while the lamb, basking in the blaze of noon, bounds over the flowery hillock, the wolf watches its haunts and meditates its deftruction. To exemplify my paftoral fimile: Fitzofborne faw with diabolical exultation, that Geraldine's behaviour had attracted general attention. He doubted not but calumny would be ready to frame fome malignant whisper, and he understood the maxim which teaches that "virtue rarely furvives the lofs of reputation." Though he conceived that the powers of his own invention were fully equal to overthrow any defence which lady Monteith might make, he did not difdain adventitious aid. His watchful eye, though feemingly only fixed on the lovely form

which was feated by him, had discovered lord Monteith in the pit. He perceived too that he was attentive to his lady's behaviour, and he fancied he read "Can difpleafure in his countenance.. "this thoughtless animal," faid Fitzofborne to himself, "have any thing "like jealousy in his compofition? He "feems less careless than ufual. If fo, "it is indeed above my hopes."

While he ruminated on this idea, the door of the box opened, and a young man of fashion stepped in. He was an intimate friend of lord Monteith's; and, feeing the countess in what he thought a new point of view, he was defirous of tharing the pleasure which her converfation afforded. This did not increase the gaiety of the party. The appearance of a stranger caufed a temporary interruption. Geraldine recollected her thoughts, and her natural

delicacy

delicacy fhrunk from an intrusion which, though fanctioned by the freedom of our prefent fyftem of manners, feemed inconfiftent with frict politeness. His ftyle of addrefs too was bold and familiar, very different from the infinuating fenfibility of Fitzbfborne, who, though confcious of diftinction, never appeared to prefume upon favour. She determined to mark her approbation of his behaviour by her own conduct; and inftead of the confidence and vivacity which marked her deportment previous to the entrance of her new gueft, fhe became as cold and circumfcribed in her anfwers as the rules of civility could poffibly ad

mit.

Lord Monteith now entered the box; and, as he never concealed any fentiment, the difpleafure he felt was ftrongly marked in his countenance. He had heard

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heard his lady pointed out as uncommonly beautiful by a ftranger who fat next him; and though he was very well pleafed with that plaudit, the fubfequent obfervations were not fatisfactory. To the words, "Charming creature!" were added," and fo gay, fo lively too " in her manners! what a happy man "that gentleman must be !" The ftranger was juft arrived from the country, and unwittingly fuppofed that a married pair would not forfeit their claims to celebrity by appearing at the fame entertainment in the fame party. Every exclamation which he uttered in compliment of the affectionate attention of this peerless couple, increased the earl's reftleffnefs; and, no longer able to conceal his own right to the charmer who thus fafcinated all eyes, he fuddenly rofe and joined her. He had feen nothing in her manner

which custom did not justify, and Fitzofborne was of all others the friend in whom he could moft confide. Yet, without knowing what to blame, he thought the laws of cuftom required revifal.

Geraldine had not that fpecies of fortitude which fees difpleasure on a huf band's brow without any fentiment but exultation. She was ignorant of those principles which teach the diffipated wife who has long renounced the power of pleafing, to exult in the capacity of giving pain. The light heart which had prompted the gay repartee became loaded with fudden depreffion, and the frolic fmile vanished with the unaffected vivacity which had given it birth.

The world had much to fay on the adventures of this evening. Poor Arabella! every body was very forry for her. Lady Monteith had certainly spirited

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