But, with all her faults, there was something in the manner of the Princess, which, imperceptibly, made them appear far less palpable. There certainly was an incongruity both in her words and her actions, which might with little difficulty be traced to proceed from a disease very prevalent in our days, and not unaptly termed by the reflecting portion of the community, fashionable madness. In short she was

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every thing by turns and nothing long." In one thing alone Clara and the Princess perfectly agreed, which was a predeliction for the country. The latter was wont to speak with rapturous enthusiasm of the charms of her Italian villa, where the sky was Claude'sthe foliage Poussin's," where she could indulge her indolence in bowers of fragrance, shaded by Azelias, Magnolias, Kalmias, and a host of beautiful shrubs, or lounge from boudoir to saloon casting

a listless glance by the way on the productions of Raphael, Tintoretto, and Titian; perchance pause for a moment before a flower piece, and yawn over a superb Canaletti. But the Italian villa was no longer hers. The guardians of her children had taken it into their own possession, to prevent its becoming the pillage of her adulatory companions, who, aware of her weakness, had the wit to admire the most valuable articles, which she had not the power to resist presenting them with. Of this she did not fail to complain, and as she thought, with some reason. Clara however thought otherwise, as she had an ample estate and splendid mansion in her native land, which, though it could not boast of the sunny sky and brilliant verdure of Italia, was far superior in its domestic comforts. At least this was the opinion of Clara, who, it must be remembered had not been a traveller, nor migrated

through those regions which have been described and re-described, till we can almost fancy we have visited them ourselves.

i

CHAPTER XXII.

The lying voice of Fame has been before

you,

And told us wondrous news.

RICHARD CLitheroe,

THE young and old," says a sweet, though almost forgotten poet, are moved by different toys," and the Dordrecht family on their return from their expedition to Brussels, proved a most forcible illustration of the truth of the observation. Vander Dordrecht was mentally calculating the expences to which he had been put, without even the slightest gain to preponderate on the other side of the question. Aaltje was gloomy and discontented, and not much

inclined to forgive the court, which had proved to her that hopes and expectations are all

Like the foundation they were built upon, But air-no more-so light-so changeable. Huyp was silent and sorrowful, his thoughts wandering back to Clara, and his heart devoted to pity for her distressses, while old Leena, on the contrary, felt her heart bound with joy at the prospect of being once more domesticated within the quiet walls of the antique tower, from whence she had departed with as much joy as her mistress, in quest of pleasures which she had not found. Aaltje would fain have avoided Ghent, where she had been the theme of the gossips already, but the Burgomaster overruled her objections, as he hoped to strike a bargain for some articles of merchandize, which would, if he succeeded, recompense him for the