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majestic half-circle of houses, the beautiful expanse of green lawn below it, its extensive view over the city, and the still more beautiful prospect of the high grounds over the houses, which lift the horizon on the opposite side considerably above the elevation natural to a flat country. On this commanding position, in the beginning of the present century, were many acres of green downs, many groves, and only a few edificessome of which were planted amongst the trees expressly for ornament. At that period the ancient baths were accounted the centre of fashion, for all pleasure-loving individuals - a very Utopia for young persons during the short period in which such exist without discovering the fallacy of all worldly and earthly seemings.

To this place we now must follow that gentle young lady whom last we saw standing over the mortal remains of little Barbara Rokeby; and see her sitting at the breakfast table the morning after her arrival, with her aunt, and an elderly lady, a Miss Mitchell, who always made the tea, and was never known to contradict Mrs. Lutterell, nor indeed any superior.

Poor Emmeline had spent several wakeful hours that night in settling with herself how she should best be able to explain her resolution of not entering into gay life to her aunt, and had not slept till these words had been brought to her mind, as suiting her own case, though originally addressed to the Apostles by our Lord, when he told them that they should be brought before kings and rulers for his name's sake." Settle it, therefore, in your hearts not to meditate before what you shall say, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay." (Luke xxi. 14, 15.) Soothed with this sweet assurance she had slept, and under the same assurance she had gone down to breakfast.

Mrs. Lutterell possessed, or rather could assume, much affability of manners when it suited her, but there was no touch of tenderness in her character, and it was well for Emmeline that she had none. How often must a feeling person have felt the difficulty of acting in opposition, even under the influence of the highest principles, to one who is naturally kind and obliging, though in a worldly way!

Emmeline had been some time in the room before the subject

which she dreaded was touched upon. At length Miss Mitchell said, "I doubt not, Miss Loveday, that you are all impatience for the opening of the rooms-that you may enjoy your first introduction?"

“Absurd!" said Mrs. Lutterell, "as if I should bring Emmeline forward for the first time, before the town fills!” "Of course you would not, ma'am," said Miss Mitchell, “and I am sure that Miss Loveday will curb her impatience till you think fit to loose the rein.”

I will speak now, thought Emmeline; it will be better for me to address this lady first, rather than my aunt; I may say more to her without seeming to be impertinent. Immediately, without hesitation, as if under the fulfilment of the promise, she stated her hopes of being permitted to keep entirely clear of the gay world, in as few words as possible, adding her reasons for so doing from scripture itself, before either of her auditors had recovered their astonishment sufficiently to interrupt her.

Miss Mitchell was the first to speak, which she did with hands uplifted, and various unconnected exclamations. She was cut short however by Mrs. Lutterell, who, looking at her niece with an eye of fire, first asked her to repeat what she had said, and then stopping her short before she had pronounced the first sentence, uttered a sort of hysterical laugh, and then added, "Mrs. St. Leger gave me a hint of this, Emmeline Loveday, but I did not believe her. Let us, however, understand each other; either you submit your will to mine, or I appeal to your father, who may be, for aught I know, already in Plymouth, and let me tell you that he is not a man to be trifled with; so no more--not another word. If there is any thing which I abhor on the face of the earth, it is the sort of cant which you have caught up-heaven only knows how; for if I have avoided any one thing more than another in your education, it is the possibility of your being mixed up with that sort of thing.” "Yes, ma'am, certainly," said Miss Mitchell, “you have never subjected Miss Loveday "Enough! enough!" cried the

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peremptory lady, "now and for ever-the Bath season is not begun, and some time must elapse before your dresses and those sort of things could be ready for your appearance, even if the persons were arrived

before whom I should first wish you to become visible in the world of fashion; and during that time you will reflect on what you intend to do. For I repeat that you can neither trifle with me nor your father-so no more now."

Severely as she had been met, yet Emmeline felt thankful that strength had been given her to declare herself without delay. She gave all the glory to God, and was enabled to await what next should come, in quietness and confidence.

For several days nothing happened. She was left much to herself, and not invited to talk; and she felt that Miss Mitchell was useful in filling up all the gaps in her aunt's discourse. At length this aunt presented herself one morning in her niece's dressing room with a sealed letter in her hand, addressed to Captain Loveday, Plymouth. "Your father is in harbour, Emmeline," she said; "but is not able as yet to join us in Bath. I heard from him yesterday, and I have written this letter to him, informing him of the determination you expressed when you first arrived in the Crescent, which determination you have never yet formally retracted; but as I would gladly spare him from needless pain, if you say but one word, I will not send it."

"I will say any thing, dear aunt, which will testify how gratefully and affectionately I remember your attentions throughout my motherless childhood," replied Emmeline.

"To which you would most gratefully add, if you thought it lady-like so to do, that you will counteract, as far as it may be in your power, every effort which I have made for your advantage," returned Mrs. Lutterell, throwing out her hands all glittering with jewelled rings, with the air of one who casts some despised object from them; and then adding, "Well! I leave you to your father; I am not disposed to carry on the controversy with you in my own person-au reste-whilst we are together, let us live in peace."

The letter was sent, and as speedily as the post would allow came the answer from Captain Loveday, consisting only of a few lines, in which he desired that his daughter might be sent with Miss Mitchell, as he did not suppose her aunt would like to accompany her to a lodging he had caused to be secured for her at Linton, a small and picturesque village in Devonshire, whence he might visit her from Plymouth without much expence

of time. He requested that the movement might be made immediately; but added no remarks on his sister's communications respecting his daughter's state of mind, though the cold style indicated displeasure.

The passage from Bath to the appointed place was made the next day, according to the Captain's direction. Emmeline and Miss Mitchell were received late in the evening at the lodging which had been secured, and Emmeline found with pleasure that there was a sleeping room provided for her sole use.

Our lovely island supplies in few instances a fairer scene than that which exhibited itself from the window of Emmeline's chamber, when she opened it in the bright early morning. She had acquired from her little Barbara the habit of refreshing herself by scripture reading, by rising before the general household were in motion, but never before had so fair a page of created beauty, in the still natural world, displayed itself before her eyes. The village, of which the lodging house formed a portion, is situated on a bold eminence richly clad with woods towards the sea, and commanding over the Bristol Channel the shores of Wales, with the blue mountains dim in the horizonthe autumnal tints of the intervening woods adding to the variety of the bright colours which adorned the prospect.

How often does the sentimental philosopher direct his pupil

to

"Look through nature, up to nature's God."

whilst the spiritually-enlightened instructor shows his pupil that nature is but an assemblage of often-beautiful shadows, of which, if the substance is not apprehended, the shadows only supply perplexed and confusing imaginations, such as never can direct a mind aright. But to the illuminated mind of Emmeline, these natural beauties presented many lessons of wisdom, renewing her recollection of various sweet passages of scripture of which the works of creation form the types, and bringing back in many pathetic memories the peaceful hours passed in days gone by with the gentle little Barbara. It was ordained by Providence that she should enjoy this refreshing influence, for she had much, very, very much, to encounter before that sun, then shedding its first bright beams on the western hills, should sink behind them to its ocean bed.

Before that mid-day, the Captain came: he drove up to the door of the house, accompanied by a youth in a sort of naval livery with a cockade in his hat, who had much the air of being in high favor with his master. Emmeline remembered little of her father, and the meeting which she then anticipated was cruelly embittered to her, in anticipation, by the circumstances in which they then stood. She was at an upper window when the carriage drove up, and instead of running to meet her only parent, she stood, spell-bound as it were, to catch a glimpse of him as he alighted. She thought that he looked older than she had expected; his figure had spread considerably since they had parted, and his complexion was more sun-burned than ruddy. He wore a naval uniform, his hair being highly powdered, a good deal frizzed in the fashion called aisle de pigeon on each side, and tied in a queue behind. She was too far off to remark the most striking feature of his physiognomy--a heavy over-hanging brow garnished with immense eye-brows of mingled grey and black, though she had not forgotten the impression which these eye-brows had made on her young imagination when they were only black.

The Captain having alighted, he stopped a little while between the steps of the carriage and those of the house, speaking to some one who stood on the latter, giving directions about the cooking of some fish which he had brought with him—and very shortly afterwards his foot was heard on the stairs. Emmeline then, with beating heart, ran to the door of the room from whence she had been looking out, and without stopping to reflect, threw herself into his arms.

Though Captain Loveday exhibited no very extravagant cordiality, he kissed his daughter on both cheeks, and made a somewhat formal bow to Miss Mitchell, at the same time thanking her for the promptitude with which she had accommodated herself to his wishes.

The elder lady smiled and courtesied, and drawing a chair for the Captain, they both sat down, whilst Emmeline continued to stand; nor was she unconscious of the searching, yet steady, gaze which was fixed upon her, or rathering measuring her from head to foot, from under the bent brow and shaggy eye-brows of her father. She had not courage, however, to break the silence.

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