THE HE unfitting, however cuftomary, occafion of this speedy repetition of public amufement in the town of Northwick, was, that the county affizes were now held there; and the arriva. of the judges of the land, to hear caufes which kept life or death fufpended, was the fignal for entertainment to the furrounding neighbourhood: a hardening of human feel ings against human crimes and human miferies, at which reflection revolts, however habit may persevere.

The young men, who rode on first, joined the ladies as they entered the. town, and told them to drive traight to the ball-room, where the company had affembled, in confequence of a fhower of rain which had forced them from the public garden intended for the breakfast.

Here, as they ftopt, a poor woman, nearly in rags, with one child by her fide, and another in her arms, approached the carriage, and, prefenting a petition, befought the ladies to read or hear her cafe. Eugenia, with the ready impulfe of generous affluence, inftantly felt for her purfe; but Mifs Margland, angrily holding her hand, faid, with authority: Mifs Eugenia, never encourage beggars; you don't know the mischief you may do by it.' Eugenia reluctantly defifted, but made a fign to her footman to give fomething for her. Edgar then alight. ing, advanced to hand them from the coach, while Lionel ran forward to fettle their tickets of admittance.

The woman now grew more urgent in her fupplications, and Mifs Margland in her remonftrances against at teading to them.

Indiana, who was placed under the care of Edgar, enchanted to again. difplay herself where fure of again being admired, neither heard or faw the petitioner; but dimpling and fmiling, quickened her motions toward the affembly-room: while Camilla, who was laft, ftopping fhort, faid: What is the matter, poor woman?' and took her paper to examine.

Mifs Margland, fnatching it from her, threw it on the ground, peremptorily faying: Mifs Camilla, if once you begin fuch a thing as that, there will be no end to it; fo come along with the reft of your company, like other people.'

She then haughtily proceeded; but Camilla, brought up by her admirable parents never to país diftrefs without inquiry nor to refufe giving at all, becaufe fhe could give but little, remained with the poor object, and repeated her question. The woman, thedding a torrent of tears, faid, the was wife to one of the prifoners who was to be tried the next day, and who expected to lofe his life, or be tranfported, for only one bad action of ftealing a leg of mutton; which, though the knew it to be a fin, was not without excufe, being a firft offence, and committed in poverty and ficknefs. And this, fhe was told, the judge would take into consideration; but her husband was now fo ill, that he could not feed on the gaol allowance, and not having wherewithal to buy any other, would either die before his trial, or be too weak to make known his fad ftory in his own behalf,for want of fome wine or fome broth to fupport him in the meanwhile.

Camilla, haftily giving her a fhilling, took one of her petitions, and promifing to do all in her power to ferve her, left the poor creature almost choaked with fobbing joy. She was flying to join her party, when the perceived Edgar at her fide. I came to fee,' cried he, with glistening eyes, if you were running away from us; but you were doing far better in not thinking of us at all.'

Camilla, accustomed from her earliest childhood to attend to the indigent and unhappy, felt neither retreat ing fhame, nor parading pride in the office; fhe gave him the petition of the poor woman, and begged he would confider if there was any thing that could be done for her husband.

• I had received a paper from herfelf,' he answered, before you alight. ed; and I hope I fhould not have neglected it but I will now take yours, that my memory may run no rifk.'

They then went on to the affembly

room.

The company, which was nume rous, was already feated at break faft. Indiana and Camilla, now firft furveyed by day-light, again attracted all ees; but, in the fimplicity of undrefs, the fuperiority of Indiana was no longer wholly unrivalled, though the general voice was ftill ftrongly in

her favour.

Indiana was a beauty of fo regular a caft, that her face had no feature, no look to which criticifm could point as fufceptible of improvement, or on which admiration could dwell with more delight than on the rest. No ftatuary could have modelled her form with more exquifite fymmetry; no painter have harmonifed her complexion with greater brilliancy of colouring. But here ended the liberality of nature, which, in not fullying this fair workmanship by inclofing in it what was bad, contentedly left it vacant of whatever was noble and defirable.

1

The beauty of Camilla, though neither perfect nor regular, had an in

fluence fo peculiar on the beholder, it was hard to catch its fault; and the cynic connoiffeur, who might perfevere in feeking it, would involuntarily furrender the ftrict rules of his art to the predominance of its lovelinefs. Even judgment itself, the coolest and last betrayed of our faculties, fhe took by furprife, though it was not till he was abfent the feizure was detected. Her difpofition was ardent in fincerity, her mind untainted with evil. The reigning and radical defect of her character-an imagination that fubmitted to no controul-proved not any antidote against her attractions; it caught, by its force and fire, the quick-kindling admiration of the lively; it poffeffed, by magnetic pervafion, the witchery to create fympathy in the most serious.

In their march up the room, Camilla was spoken to by a person from the tea-table, who was diftinct from every other, by being particularly ill dreffed; and who, though the did not know him, afked her how she did, with a familiar look of intimacy. She flightly curtfied, and endeavoured to draw her party more nimbly on; when another perfon, equally confpicuous, though from being accoutred in the oppofite extreme of full dress, quitting his feat, formally made up to her, and drawing on a ftiff pair of new gloves as he fpoke, faid: So, you are come at laft, ma'am! I began to think you would not come at all, begging that gentleman's pardon, who told me to the contrary last night, when I thought, thinks I, here I have bought thefe new gloves, for no rea fon but to oblige the young lady, and now I might as well not have bought 'em at all.'

Camilla, ready to laugh, yet much provoked at this renewed claim from her old perfecutor, Mr. Dubster, looked vainly for redrefs at the mif chievous Lionel, who archly anfwered: O, ay, true, fifter; I told the gentleman, laft night, you would be fure to make him amends this morning, for putting him to fo much expence,'

When she came to the head of the room, fhe turned about, and, with her glass, furveyed the whole company; then fmilingly advancing to the floven, whom Camilla was fhunning, fhe called out: O! are-you there? what rural deity could break your reft fo early?'

None!' answered he, rubbing his eyes; I am invulnerably afleep at this very moment! In the very centre of the morphetic dominions. But how barbarously late you are! I fhould never have come to this vaftly horrid place before my ride, if I had imagined you could be fo excruciating.'

Struck with the jargon of which The could not fufpect two perfons to be capable, Camilla turned round to her flighted neighbour, and with the greatest furprise recognised, upon examination, the most brilliant beau of the preceding evening, in the worst dreffed man of the prefent morning.

The lady now, again holding her glafs to her eye, which the directed without fcruple toward Camilla and her party, faid: 'Who have you got

there?'

minute, deny her own curiofity the pleasure of observing them.

They now spoke together for fome time in low voices, laughing immoderately at the occafional fallies of each other; fir Sedley Clarendel fitting at his eafe, Mrs. Arlbery standing, and knotting by his fide.

The officers, and almoft all the beaux, began to crowd to this fpot; but neither the gentleman nor the lady interrupted their discourse to return or receive any falutations. Lionel, who with much eagerness had quitted an inside seat at a long table, to pay his court to Mrs. Arlbery, could catch neither her eye nor her ear for his bow or his compliment.

Sir Sedley, at laft, looking up in her face, and fmiling, faid; A'nt you fhockingly tired?'

To death!' anfwered fhe, coolly. Why then, I am afraid, I must pofitively do the thing that's old fashioned.'

And rifing, and making her a very elegant bow, he prefented her his feat, adding: There, ma'am! I have the honour to give you my chair,-at the risk of my reputation.'

'I fhould have thought,' cried Lionel, now getting forward, that omitting to give it wonld rather have risked your reputation.'

Is it poffible you could be born before all that was over? faid Mrs. Arlbery, dropping carelessly upon the chair as the perceived Lionel, whom fhe honoured with a nod: How do do, Mr. Tyrold? are you just come in?' But turning again to fir Sedley, without waiting for his anfwer, I fwear, you barbarian,' fhe cried, you have really almoft killed me with fatigue.'

Have I, indeed?' faid he, smiling. Mr. Dubster now, leaning over the table, folemnly faid: I am fure, I fhould have offered the lady my own, place, if I had not been fo tired myfelf; but Tom Hicks over-perfuaded me to dance a bit before you came in, ma'am,' addreffing Camilla, for you have loft a deal of dancing by com

ing fo laté; for they all fell to as foon as ever they come; and, as I'm not over and above used to it, it foon makes one a little stiffish, as one may say; and, indeed, the lady's much better off in getting a chair, for one fits mighty little at one's eafe on thefe here benches, with nothing to lean one's back against.

And who's that?' cried Mrs. Arlbery to fir Sedley, looking Mr. Dubfter full in the face.

Sir Sedley made fome answer in a whisper, which proved highly entertaining to them both. Mr. Dubiter, with an air much offended, faid to Camilla: People's laughing and whifpering, when one don't know what it's about, is not one of the politeft things, I know, for polite people to do; and, in my mind, they ought to be above it.

This refentment excited Lionel to join in the laugh; and Mr. Dubfter, with great gravity of manner, rofe, and faid to Camilla: When you are ready to dance, ma'am, I am willing to be your partner, and I shan't engage myfelf to nobody elfe; but I fhall go to t'other end of the room till you choofe to ftand up; for I don't care to stay here, only to be laughed at, when I don't know what it's for.'

They now all left the table; and Lionel eagerly begged permiffion to introduce his filters and coufin to Mrs. Arlbery, who readily confented to the propofal.

· Indiana advanced with pleasure into a circle of beaux, whofe eyes were moft affiduous to welcome her. Camilla, though a little alarmed in being prefented to a lady of fo fingular a deportment, had yet a curiofity to fee more of her, that willingly feconded her brother's motion. And Eugenia, to whofe early reflecting mind every new character and new fcene opened a fresh fund for thought, if not for knowledge, was charmed to take a nearer view of what promifed fuch food for obfervation. But Mifs Margland began an angry remontrance againft the proceedings of Lionel, in thus

taking out of her hands the direction of her charges. What the urged, however, was vain: Lionel was only diverted by her wrath, and the three young ladies, as they had not requested the introduction, did not feel themfelves refponfible for its taking ef fect.

Lionel led them on: Mrs. Arlbery half rose to return their curtfies; and gave them a reception fo full of vivacity and good humour, that they foon forgot the ill-will with which Mifs Margland had fuffered them to quit her; and even loft all recollection that it belonged to them to return to her. The fatisfaction of Indiana, indeed, flowed fimply from the glances of admiration which every where met her eye; but Eugenia attended to every word, and every motion of Mrs. Arlbery, with that fort of earnestness which marks an intelligent child at a first play; and Camilla, ftill more ftruck by the novelty of this new acquaintance, fcarce permitted herself to breathe, left she should lose any thing fhe faid.

Mrs. Arlbery perceived their youthful wonder, and felt a propensity to increase it, which strengthened all her faculties. Wit the poffeffed at will; and, with exertions which rendered it uncommonly brilliant, she displayed it, how to them, now to the gentlemen, with a gaiety fo fantastic, a raillery fo arch, a spirit of fatire so seasoned with a delight in coquetry, and a certain negligence of air fo enlivened by a whimsical pleasantry, that fhe could not have failed to ftrike with admiration even the moft hackneyed seekers of character; much lefs the inexperienced young creatures now presented to her; who, with open eyes and ears, regarded her as a phenomenon, upon finding that the fplendour of her talents equalled the fingularity of her manners.

When the room was prepared for dancing, major Cerwood brought to Indiana Mr. Macderfey, the young enfign, who had fo improperly addreffed her at the ball; and, after a formal