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humoured expression of "Be still, silly heart!" Theodore thought the kind smile which accompanied the action was worth all her beauty.

"Well! I believe I should not have been so distressed had it happened any where else," said Ellesif, "but before all the court; before Baron Vesteros too! for I know he was there but pray let us say no more about it. Señor Guevara, can you play chess ?"

How rejoiced was Theodore that he could answer that emphatic can in the affirmative! The chess-board was displayed, and they sat down to it. Anastasia proceeded in the embroidery of a scarf, and Madame Sauveur, finding her second resurrection as fruitless as her first, again rolled herself in her shawl, and tried to sleep.

During the course of their game, Ellesif recovered some vivacity; but Theodore became more thoughtful. When she thought he was deeply considering a move, he was in truth pondering upon the folly of

judging characters by a single trait. He had imagined, from the circumstances of the preceding night, that Ellesif had an excesive sensibility to general opinion; and that timidity formed as striking a peculiarity of her mind as of her person. What she had just said to her sister suggested other ideas.

This Baron Vesteros was perhaps the only person present whose opinion was of any consequence to her: most likely she was to marry him. Yet, if so, the mention of him before a stranger had something in it so revolting to his preconceived notion of her delicacy, that his manner visibly changed, and he played without speaking.

How unconscious was poor Ellesif of the effect of her unguarded, unexplained speech! Baron Vesteros was the most poignant satirist of the day; and she never considered that his name and his power might be unknown to Theodore.

Their game was just finished in favour of Ellesif, when a couple of notes were brought from Count Lauvenheilm. The one ad

dressed to his daughters was to tell them that he would not be at the villa till the next day; and that to Theodore was to request he would send the packet of

left him in charge to write.

letters he had

Some

part of the note required an answer; and glad to be relieved from his present situation, Theodore seized the opportunity, and took leave of the ladies for the night.

As he left the room, Madame Sauveur started half up, and remained leaning on her elbow in a listening attitude, till the sound of his steps was no longer audible. "Well! now he is fairly gone," she said, "tell me what you think of the Count's protegé and prodigy? O mon Dieu, what a gêne he has been all this evening! I mentioned every game on the cards, and not one did he know then I tried him at a rebus; for one must do something to amuse folks that won't amuse themselves; and he literally did not comprehend me he had never heard one in his life. The pauvre Bete! Ah mon Dieu! who could have imagined such bar

barism! and this is the clever person your father sounded such a trumpet before! this is the cub we are to lick into a bear bear indeed! Ah, mon Dieu !"

a

Here the lively Frenchwoman threw herself back on the couch, and laughed immoderately; returning again to her unanswered question of" What do you think of him ?".

"I don't think much of him,” replied Anastasia ; "he seems civil and stupid enough, and very inoffensive."

At this phrase the Marquise laughed again, exclaiming, "Yes, quite harmless: the Count has taken good care of our hearts." It must be remembered, that Madame Sauveur was a widow of nine-andthirty.

"Don't be too sure of that, Madame Sauveur," said Ellesif, archly, "he has your favourite charms, grand yeux noir, and un long regard."

to see

"Yes, indeed, that is very provoking," quickly interrupted the Marquise, such a pair of fine eyes thrown away!-the

young man is handsome, positively; but so unlike a Frenchman!"

"So unlike, indeed!" repeated Ellesif, answering Madame Sauveur's shrug of the shoulders with a smile.

"I am sure you must have suffered martyrdom in trying to entertain him," observed Madame, "I saw it was all up-hill work, so I withdrew my forces, and bivouacked on the sopha."

"Indeed I found him very agreeable,' replied Ellesif: "certainly not much like every-day-men. I guessed he could not talk about the on dit of the day, for could you or I do so at Pekin? But he conversed very intelligently; sometimes profoundly, and sometimes with a playful grace that reminded me of my father."

At this remark, not only Madame la Marquise but Countess Anastasia burst into repeated peals of laughter. To compare this Norwegian savage, this walking book-case, this curiosity, this handsome automaton, with such a person as Count