"One word more, Rose. Dearest Rose ! one more!" cried Harry, throwing himself before her. "If I had been less-less fortunate, the world would call it-if some obscure and peaceful life had been my destinyif I had been poor, sick, helpless would you have turned from me then? Or has my probable advancement to riches and honour, given this scruple birth?" "Do not press me to reply," answered Rose. "The question does not arise, and never will. It is unfair, almost unkind, to urge it." but then, Harry, I own I should have been happier." Busy recollections of old hopes, cherished as a girl, long ago, crowded into the mind of Rose, while making this avowal; but they brought tears with them, as old hopes will when they come back withered; and they relieved her. "I cannot help this weakness, and it makes my purpose stronger," said Rose, extending her hand. "I must leave you now, indeed." "I ask one promise," said Harry. "Once, and only once more,-say within a year, but it may be much sooner, I may speak to you again on this subject, for the last time." "Not to press me to alter my right determination," replied Rose, with a melancholy smile; "it will be useless." "If your answer be what I almost dare to hope it is," retorted Harry, "it will shed a gleam of happiness upon my lonely way, and light the path before me. It is not an idle thing to do so much, by the utterance of a few brief words, for one who loves you beyond all else. Oh, Rose! "No," said Harry; "to hear you in the name of my ardent and endur- repeat it, if you will-finally repeat it! ing attachment; in the name of all II will lay at your feet, whatever of have suffered for you, and all you station or fortune I may possess; and doom me to undergo; answer me this if you still adhere to your present one question!" resolution, will not seek, by word or act, to change it." "Then, if your lot had been differently cast," rejoined Rose; "if you had been even a little, but not so far, above me; if I could have been a help and comfort to you in any humble scene of peace and retirement, and not a blot and drawback in ambitious and distinguished crowds; I should have been spared this trial. I have every reason to be happy, very happy, now; "Then let it be so," rejoined Rose; "it is but one pang the more, and by that time I may be enabled to bear it better." She extended her hand again. But the young man caught her to his bosom; and imprinting one kiss on her beautiful forehead, hurried from the room.' CHAPTER XXXVI. IS A VERY SHORT ONE, AND MAY APPEAR OF NO GREAT IMPORTANCE IN ITS PLACE. BUT IT SHOULD BE READ NOTWITHSTANDING, AS A SEQUEL TO THE LAST, AND A KEY TO ONE THAT WILL FOLLOW WHEN ITS TIME ARRIVES. "You will tell me a different tale one of these days," said Harry, colouring without any perceptible reason. "I hope I may have good cause to do so," replied Mr. Losberne; "though I confess I don't think I shall. But yesterday morning you had made up your mind, in a great hurry, to stay here, and to accompany your mother, like a dutiful son, to the sea-side. Before noon, you announce that you are going to do me the honour of accompanying me as far as I go, on your road to London. And at night, you urge me, with great mystery, to start before the ladies are stirring; the consequence of which is, that young Oliver here is pinned down to his breakfast when he ought to be ranging the meadows after botanical phenomena of all kinds. Too bad, isn't it, Oliver ?" "I should have been very sorry not to have been at home when you and Mr. Maylie went away, sir," rejoined Oliver. "The great nobs," replied Harry : "under which designation, I presume, you include my most stately uncle: have not communicated with me at all, since I have been here; nor, at this time of the year, is it likely that anything would occur to render necessary my immediate attendance among them." "Well," said the doctor, "you are a queer fellow. But of course they will get you into parliament at the election before Christmas, and these sudden shiftings and changes are no bad preparation for political life. There's something in that. Good training is always desirable, whether the race be for place, cup, or sweepstakes." Harry Maylie looked as if he could have followed up this short dialogue by one or two remarks that would have staggered the doctor not a little; but he contented himself with saying, "We shall see," and pursued the subject no farther. The post-chaise drove up to the door shortly afterwards; and Giles coming in for the luggage, the good doctor bustled out, to see it packed. Oliver," said Harry Maylie, in a low voice, "let me speak a 'word with you." "That's a fine fellow," said the Oliver walked into the window-redoctor; "you shall come and see me cess to which Mr. Maylie beckoned when you return. But, to speak him; much surprised at the mixture seriously, Harry; has any communi- of sadness and boisterous spirits, cation from the great nobs, produced which his whole behaviour displayed. this sudden anxiety on your part to "You can write well now?" said be gone?" | Harry, laying his hand upon his arm, "I hope so, sir," replied Oliver. "I shall not be at home again, perhaps for some time; I wish you would write to me-say once a fortnight: every alternate Monday: to the General Post Office in London. Will you?" "Oh! certainly, sir; I shall be proud to do it," exclaimed Oliver, greatly delighted with the commission. "I should like to know how-how my mother and Miss Maylie are," said the young man; "and you can fill up a sheet by telling me what walks you take, and what you talk about, and whether she—they, I mean-seem happy and quite well. You understand me?" "Oh! quite, sir, quite," replied Oliver. "I would rather you did not mention it to them," said Harry, hurrying over his words; "because it might make my mother anxious to write to me oftener, and it is a trouble and worry to her. Let it be a secret between you and me; and mind you tell me every thing! I depend upon you." Oliver, quite elated and honoured by a sense of his importance, faithfully promised to be secret and explicit in his communications. Mr. Maylie took leave of him, with many assurances of his regard and protection. The doctor was in the chaise; Giles (who, it had been arranged, should be left behind) held the door open in his hand; and the women-servants were in the garden, looking on. Harry cast one slight glance at the latticed window, and jumped into the carriage. "Drive on!" he cried, "hard, fast, full gallop! Nothing short of flying will keep pace with me, to-day." "Halloa!" cried the doctor, letting down the front glass in a great hurry, and shouting to the postilion ; " something very short of flying will keep pace with me. Do you hear?" Jingling and clattering, till distance rendered its noise inaudible, and its rapid progress only perceptible to the eye, the vehicle wound its way along the road, almost hidden in a cloud of dust: now wholly disappearing, and now becoming visible again : as intervening objects, or the intricacies of the way, permitted. It was Inot until even the dusty cloud was no longer to be seen, that the gazers dispersed. And there was one looker-on, who remained with eyes fixed upon the spot where the carriage had disappeared, long after it was many miles away; for, behind the white curtain which had shrouded her from view when Harry raised his eyes towards the window, sat Rose herself. "He seems in high spirits and happy," she said, at length. “I feared for a time he might be otherwise. I was mistaken. I am very, very glad.” Tears are signs of gladness as well as grief; but those which coursed down Rose's face, as she sat pensively at the window, still gazing in the same direction, seemed to tell more of sorrow than of joy. IN WHICH THE READER CHAPTER XXXVII. MAY PERCEIVE A CONTRAST, NOT UNCOMMON IN MATRIMONIAL CASES. MR. BUMBLE sat in the workhouse | form; a bishop his silk apron ; a counparlour, with his eyes moodily fixed sellor his silk gown; a beadle his cockon the cheerless grate, whence, as it ed-hat. Strip the bishop of his apron, was summer time, no brighter gleam or the beadle of his hat and lace; what proceeded, than the reflection of cer- are they? Men. Mere men. Digtain sickly rays of the sun, which werenity, and even holiness too, sometimes, sent back from its cold and shining are more questions of coat and waistsurface. A paper fly-cage dangled coat than some people imagine. from the ceiling, to which he occasionally raised his eyes in gloomy thought; and, as the heedless insects hovered round the gaudy network, Mr. Bumble would heave a deep sigh, while a more gloomy shadow overspread his countenance. Mr. Bumble was meditating; it might be that the insects brought to mind, some painful passage in his own past life. Nor was Mr. Bumble's gloom the only thing calculated to awaken a pleasing melancholy in the bosom of a spectator. There were not wanting other appearances, and those closely connected with his own person, which announced that a great change had taken place in the position of his affairs. The laced coat, and the cocked hat; where were they? He still wore knee-breeches, and dark cotton stockings on his nether limbs; but they were not the breeches. The coat was wide-skirted; and in that respect like the coat, but, oh, how different! The mighty cocked-hat was replaced by a modest round one. Mr. Bumble was no longer a beadle. There are some promotions in life, which, independent of the more substantial rewards they offer, acquire peculiar value and dignity from the coats and waistcoats connected with them. A field-marshal has his uni Mr. Bumble had married Mrs. Corney, and was master of the workhouse. Another beadle had come into power. On him the cocked-hat, gold-laced coat, and staff, had all three descended. "And to-morrow two months it was done!" said Mr. Bumble, with a sigh. "It seems a age." Mr. Bumble might have meant that he had concentrated a whole existence of happiness into the short space of eight weeks; but the sigh-there was a vast deal of meaning in the sigh. "I sold myself," said Mr. Bumble, pursuing the same train of reflection, "for six teaspoons, a pair of sugartongs, and a milk-pot; with a small quantity of second-hand furniture, and twenty pound in money. I went very reasonable. Cheap, dirt cheap!" "Cheap!" cried a shrill voice in Mr. Bumble's ear: "you would have been dear at any price; and dear enough I paid for you, Lord above knows that!" Mr. Bumble turned, and encountered the face of his interesting consort, who, imperfectly comprehending the few words she had overheard of his complaint, had hazarded the foregoing remark at a venture. "Mrs. Bumble, ma'am !" said Mr. Bumble, with sentimental sternness. "Well?" cried the lady. "Have the goodness to look at me," said Mr. Bumble, fixing his eyes upon her. Mrs. Bumble, seeing at a glance, that the decisive moment had now arrived, and that a blow struck for the mastership on one side or other, must necessarily be final and conclusive, no sooner heard this allusion to the dead and gone, than she dropped into a chair, and with a loud scream that Mr. Bumble was a hard-hearted ex-brute, fell into a paroxysm of tears. "If she stands such a eye as that," said Mr. Bumble to himself," she can stand anything. It is a eye I never knew to fail with paupers. If it fails with her, my power is gone." Whether an exceedingly small pansion of eye be sufficient to quell paupers, who, being lightly fed, are in no very high condition; or whether the late Mrs. Corney was particularly proof against eagle glances; are matters of opinion. The matter of fact, is, that the matron was in no way overpowered by Mr. Bumble's scowl, but, on the contrary, treated it with great disdain, and even raised a laugh thereat, which sounded as though it were genuine. On hearing this most unexpected sound, Mr. Bumble looked, first incredulous, and afterwards amazed. He then relapsed into his former state; nor did he rouse himself until his attention was again awakened by the voice of his partner. "Are you going to sit snoring there, all day?" inquired Mrs. Bumble. "I am going to sit here, as long as I think proper, ma'am," rejoined Mr. Bumble; "and although I was not snoring, I shall snore, gape, sneeze, laugh, or cry, as the humour strikes me; such being my prerogative." "Your prerogative!" sneered Mrs. Bumble, with ineffable contempt. "I said the word, ma'am," said Mr. Bumble. "The prerogative of a man is to command." "And what's the prerogative of a woman, in the name of Goodness?" cried the relict of Mr. Corney deceased. "To obey, ma'am," thundered Mr. Bumble. "Your late unfort'nate husband should have taught it you; and then, perhaps, he might have been alive now. I wish he was, poor man!" But, tears were not the things to find their way to Mr. Bumble's soul; his heart was waterproof. Like washable beaver hats that improve with rain, his nerves were rendered stouter and more vigorous,by showers of tears, which, being tokens of weakness, and so far tacit admissions of his own power, pleased and exalted him. He eyed his good lady with looks of great satisfaction, and begged, in an encouraging manner, that she should cry her hardest: the exercise being looked upon, by the faculty, as strongly conducive to health. "It opens the lungs, washes the countenance, exercises the eyes, and softens down the temper," said Mr. Bumble. "So cry away! As he discharged himself of his pleasantry, Mr. Bumble took his hat from a peg, and putting it on, rather rakishly, on one side, as a man might, who felt he had asserted his superiority in a becoming manner, thrust his hands into his pockets, and sauntered towards the door, with much ease and waggishness depicted in his whole appearance. Now, Mrs. Corney that was, had tried the tears, because they were less troublesome than a manual assault; but, she was quite prepared to make trial of the latter mode of proceeding, as Mr. Bumble was not long in discovering. The first proof he experienced of the fact, was conveyed in a hollow sound, immediately succeeded by the sudden flying off of his hat to the opposite end of the room. This |