THERE are certain persons who, Iat certain times of life, lay themselves out with great vigour and address for the absorbing pursuit of heiress-hunting. At first sight, at least, it is one of the quickest and pleasantest ways of making a great pot of money-by one coup you may sweep into your coffers more money than the work of years could givebut at the same time it is a monetary truth that large gains are not made without heavy ventures. There is

VOL. XVIII.-NO. CIIL.

a great parallel between the hunting of hares and the hunting of heiresses. In each of them, despite Assheton Smith's pleasant theory that the fox highly enjoys fox-hunting, I think poor pussy has decidedly the worst of it, and is not much considered by the harriers. It must be allowed that in the long run there will probably be a heavy quittance exacted for his selfishness, and it must also be allowed that fortune-hunters are by no means confined to heiress

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