Her exul

fpirited away her lover. tation upon the occafion was rather too marked for a woman of prodigious decorum; and really, if fhe did continue to flirt it fo notoriously in public, she must renounce her pretenfions to fuch very strict propriety, and confent to be thought no better than other people.

At coming out of the opera, Fitzofborne tapped lord Monteith upon the shoulder, and asked him, how he difpofed of himself for the evening. "At home, if you have nothing better to "propose:" was the answer. "There is " a spirited set juft gone to Brookes's,' continued Fitzofborne ; << suppose we "follow them to obferve manners and "characters." His lordship had no objection.

Early in lord Monteith's life, his name was unfortunately familiar to the

frequenters

frequenters of the gaming-table and the heroes of the turf. His attachment to the lovely Geraldine leffened that dangerous propensity; and, though she had failed in her endeavours to infpire a love of elegant pleasures, indifference for his former pursuits had gradually increased to difguft: the lefs pernicious sports of the field, and a boyish turn of amusement, fucceeding in occupying a mind too volatile to feek pleafure out of its own refources. But fince his lordship's disgust and forbearance arose more from the abfence of temptation than from any fixed principle, the fight of the cardtable and the rattle of the dice-box excited paffions which increased the unfubdued emotion that he had felt at the opera.

He propofed to Fitzofborne to form a party. Edward pleaded a total want of skill; protefted, that he had a fixed

abhorrence of the gaming-table; ar declared, that he never vifited the fcenes, except to ftudy the human ch racter, and to moralize on the fa effects of the impetuous paffion of a rice. His reflections were foon finif that evening, for in a little time he f feffed himself wearied with the scene, he proposed to lord Monteith that' fhould retire to a private room. T too he felt the moments drag hea and it was mutually agreed to enl them by a friendly game at picquet.

The stake first proposed was tri Monteith was unfuccefsful. He t ferred his latent refentment to the which he stamped under his foot; for a new new pack, and infifted doubling the fum they played for. events of the evening put severa dreds into Fitzofborne's pocket his fuccefs might ftill have been g

"of it this evening. Yet if my well"meant admonitions are but remem"bered by my friends, the difinterest"edness of my attachment will enable "me to support a little tranfient acri*mony."

"Where else did you play the lec "turer?" inquired Monteith, carelessly. "Where I faw a little impropriety," replied Fitzosborne, with suppressed fignificance.

"And did you fucceed no better "than you have done with me?" continued the earl, with increafing anxiety. "I don't know. The character I had to deal with was more guarded <<< than you are.

"What caufed your reproof?" faid his lordship, with affected ease, and apparently occupied in forting the cards into three divifions.

"İbe