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306 being beloved,—her sorrow, sighs, and tears, in clinging to him for protection, revealing a language impossible to be mistaken!

In joining the party assembled in the breakfast-room, not perceiving the object his eyes were in search of, he found, on inquiring, that she was prevented that morning from leaving her chamber through indisposition. A thousand ideas concerning her personal safety might have troubled him, had he not been tranquillized by the observations he gathered of the natural excellence of her constitution, rendering the symptoms of cold by which she was attacked but of little importance.

Greeting him under his newly inherited title of Lord Deloraine, the ladies Boville and Melbourne asked after his friend Colonel Harcourt, for whose sudden departure he was under the necessity of making some plausible excuse.

Mrs. De Brooke felt almost persuaded that Colonel Harcourt was the same whose card had been delivered to her as Mr. Harcourt when in pursuit of Rosilia, and who had so indefatigably kept his post about the house of Mrs. Herbert. How truly mysterious seemed his conduct, no less at the present moment than formerly, appearing and disappearing in a manner so sudden! might it be on their families' account? She awaited to make her surmises known to the General.

"My dear," exclaimed he, with looks and gestures expressive of the highest gratification, "I know it,