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just at this time suspended. Bashful ness was forgotten in his anxiety, and he boldly addressed, without blushing, a person he had never seen before.

"I must beg your forgiveness, sir, for the liberty I am taking, but you mentioned the name of-of-a person-a lady--whom it is important for me to

see.

I have been seeking her for several months, but in vain. You would impose upon me the most lasting obligation, by favouring me with the address of that lady-of Miss Somerville." The stranger appeared a good deal surprised, a little suspicious, and somewhat affronted, and it was evident that his first impulse was to give a cool and rather uncivil reply; but he was a good-natured fellow, and when he took time to reflect on the agitation, the earnestness, and, above all, the extremely genteel look of the person who thus addressed him, his heart relented; and after a little parly, he consented to tell our Virginian all he knew, which, in truth, was but very little. His acquaintance with Miss Somerville was exceedingly slight, he said; she was from Boston, and now on a visit to one of her friends in New York; the address of that friend he gave, and then John Atherton Hastings, with many thanks, made his bow, and wended his way, with his faith in the virtue and excellence of the omnibus more firmly established than ever.

In the evening he knocked at the door of the house which contained his now discovered incognita; his agitation was absolutely oppressive, and the rat-tat-too of the knocker was scarcely louder than that kept up by his heart. A servant appeared" Miss Somerville!" "Not at home." Here was a disappointment. "When would he be certain to find her within ?" "She was to leave town the next day at four o'clock; would probably be at home all the morning." Mr. Hastings left his card, and would call at eleven; and then he went to the theatre, not to enjoy the play, but simply because he knew not what else to do with himself.

The City-hall clock struck eleven the next morning, as our Virginian once more lifted the knocker at number -, in Broadway; Miss Somerville was at home, in the drawing-home, and alone. The servant ushered him to the door of the apartment, threw it open, and announced "Mr. Hastings." The lady was standing at the window, performing some nameless and delicate duty to several rare exotics, whose fragrance perfumed the air; the young man rushed

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forward-his movement was too quick and abrupt to say he advanced-exclaiming, "How delighted I am to find you at last," when she turned and presented to his bewildered gaze a very beautiful set of features indeed, but not at all those of his lovely unknown! He stood as if rooted to the floor; blundered out some vague attempt at an apology; and wished himself and the omnibus somewhere into the interior of Caffraria. "I beg ten thousand pardons, Miss-- Madam-I sure- -I-that is-I thought-I wished to see Miss Catherine Somerville." "You do see Miss Catherine Somerville," answered the lady. John Atherton Hastings began to blush, and look like a fool; and then, not knowing what better to do, made several bows, and retreated with all possible haste, repeating his efforts to utter something at least in the shape of an explanation. By the time he had reached the door, he was not very distinctly advised whether his hand or his foot was the proper instrument wherewith to open it; he succeeded, however, in turning the handle, and rushed out like a madman, overturning in his precipitate flight the footman, who just then was coming in with a salver loaded with costly glasses, decanters, and goblets, of which, in another moment, not one but was smashed into less than seven distinct fragments. How he got out of the house, our Virginian never precisely knew; but out he did get, somehow or other, and hurrying to his hotel, shut himself up in his own room, and enacted the part of a lunatic for the rest of the day.

Time will wear out the deepest griefs; at any rate it wore out the mortification and rage of the collegian. In the spring of the next year he was again in New York, and again (so the fates willed) took a seat one day in an omnibus. There were three or four passengers; and his ride altogether was pleasant enough. He got out at the corner of Broome-street, and the first man he met, full in the face, as he stepped from the vehicles, was one of his class-mates at college. "Hastings!" exclaimed one, and "Walters!" the other. "Why, Jack, where have you come from?" said Walters; and

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Walters, my dear fellow, what brings you to New York?" and then by way of obtaining satisfactory answers to these and several other mutual queries, the young men linked arms, and betook themselves to a stroll. The conversation that then ensued is no way likely to prove instructive or entertaining to read

ers in general, save and except one small piece of information elicited by our hero; to wit, that Richard Walters was now on his way to Boston, with his sister, and a young lady who had been staying for more than three months at his father's house in Virginia, on a visit to the sister aforesaid; the object of the present journey being a return of that visit by one of equal duration, on the part of Miss Walters, to her friend and late guest Miss Catherine Somerville. The reader may fancy the sudden effect of this bit of intelligence, on the susceptible heart of John Atherton. The result was, that in less than ten minutes he had told all his perplexities to his friend, and both were striding as fast as their legs could transport them, in the way that led to the house where the glasses had suffered from Hastings' impetuosity, and at which Miss Somerville and her friend Miss Walters were staying during their brief residence in New York.

Walters had heard, from Miss Somerville, of the strange caper played off by his present companion; but that young lady, with very commendable delicacy, had always refused to mention the name of her eccentric visitor, and he therefore knew nothing of Atherton's agency in the matter; touching the pocket-book, he could give no explanation.

But if he could not, Miss Somerville could; and she did, too. It was, undoubtedly her chattel; the gift of a very dear brother, an officer in the navy, and just at this time on service in the Mediterranean. It was his hair that the locket contained; and the young lady with large black eyes and the mischievous mouth, was her, Catherine Somerville's, cousin. At the time of the adventure which formed the opening-scene of this drama of misadventures, the said cousin, Harriet Evertson, was about departing for Charleston, where she resided; the eventful ride in the omnibus was one of her wild frolics; the abstraction of the pocket-book was partly another, and partly the result of a certain supposed secret affection, cherished, in spite of her teeth, by Miss Harriet Evertson, for the young sailor whose hair it contained; her design was to take out the glossy ringlet, have another inserted, and then restore the book to its rightful owner; but this design was frustrated, as has been seen, by its loss in the omnibus; and the time of her departure was too near at hand to admit of any steps for its recovery.

Such was the account given by Miss

Catherine Somerville, partly from facts that had recently come to her knowledge, and partly conjectural. There is nothing more to be told, save that our Virginian, having nothing especial to keep himself and his horses in New York, accompanied his friend and the two ladies to Boston; that in process of time there was a wedding, and that both John Atherton Hastings and his pretty wife Catherine, very often exclaim, with a smile that does not betoken much of unhappiness, one may do a worse thing sometimes, than take a ride in an omnibus."

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MISCELLANIES.

ANECDOTE OF DR. JOHNSON.

Dr. Johnson, being introduced to a reverend prelate who had long been desirous of knowing him, the latter took the opportunity of walking with the doctor through St. James's Park, for the purpose of improving his acquaintance. The doctor, however, did not happen to be in a very communicative humour, and the bishop was at a loss what kind of a remark to venture upon by way of opening a conversation; at length, after a pause, turning to his companion, he observed that the trees around them grew very large and strong. "Sir," said the cynic, "they have nothing else to do."

OLD QUOTATIONS.

There are a thousand quotations-scraps of metre or morality-floating about the world, and familiar in everybody's mouth "as household words," which it would grievously puzzle the utterers to assign to their legitimate places. The bit of information given in the extract with which this paragraph concludes, will be totally new, we suspect, to the majority of our readers :-"Sir John Mennis is the author of Musarum Deliciæ, or the Muses' Recreation.' London, 1656. In this volume are the lines,

"He that fights and runs away,

May live to fight another day," which have been generally, but erroneously supposed to form a part of Hudibras.

EXTRAVAGANT EXPENDITURE.

A gentleman, well known for his parsimonious habits, having billeted himself on his acquaintances in Edinburgh during the royal visit, was talking to a friend, on his return, of the great expense of living-" How much now do you suppose I spent in Edinburgh?" "I do not know," replied his friend," I should suppose about a fortnight.'

"

THE ANGLO-SPANISH BRIDE; helmet of any kind on his head, but a

AN HISTORIC TALE.

[From the untranslated works of Cervantes.]

(For the Parterre.)

CHAP. III.

Ricaredo would not enter the port with demonstrations of joy, on account of his commander's death; and therefore, intermingling the marks of cheerfulness with those of sadness, now was heard the shrill clarion, and now the hoarse-voiced trumpet,—then again, the spirit-stirring drum, and the brisk sound of clashing arms, to which the fife responded with its most plaintive and melancholy notes. From one topmast hung, reversed, a banner of the crescent; from another, a long flag of black taffety, the points of which touched the water. Bearing these conflicting signals, he entered the river of London with his own vessel; for, as there was not depth of water enough to bring up the great Portuguese ship, it was left in the

open sea.

These contradictory sounds and ensigns held in suspense the vast crowds of spectators assembled on the shore. They saw plainly, by some of the colours, that this smaller vessel was Lord Lancaster's flag-ship; but they could not understand how the other vessel that had gone out with it should have been changed into that huge ship which was left down at the sea. However, they were relieved from this uncertainty when they saw the brave Ricaredo himself leap into the ship's boat, in full, rich, and resplendent armour. He, without any attendance but that of the innumerable multitude that followed him, went straight to the palace, where the queen, placed at a corridor, was already awaiting the news from the two ships.

Among the other ladies in attendance on the queen, was Isabella, dressed in the English costume, in which she looked as well as she did in the Castilian. Before Ricaredo arrived, there came another person to the queen, and announced his approach. The sound of Ricaredo's name threw Isabella into agitation; and at that moment she at once feared and hoped the event of his coming. Ricaredo was tall, handsome, and well-proportioned; and as he came clad in back and breast plates, gorget, arm and thigh pieces, with pistols in his girdle, richly chased and gilt, he looked extremely handsome in the eyes of all who beheld him. He had no

broad-brimmed hat of tawny hue, with a great variety of feathers laid across it in front; he wore a broadsword with the richest trappings, and trunk-hose a la Esguizara. In this array, with his elastic step, he was compared by some to Mars himself; while others, remarking the beauty of his face, are said to have likened him to Venus, assuming that disguise to play some jest upon the god of battle.

Having arrived before the queen, he knelt and said :—

"Dread sovereign, by dint of your good fortune, and in furtherance of my desire-my commander, my lord of Lancaster, having died of apoplexy, and I, thanks to your majesty's generosity, having succeeded him-fortune threw in my way two Turkish galleys, having in tow that great ship which lies out yonder. I engaged them—your soldiers fought as ever-and the corsair vessels were sunk. In one of our own, in your royal name, I gave liberty to the Christians, who thus escaped out of the hands of the Turks. I have brought with me only one Spanish man and woman, who desired, for their own pleasure, to come and look upon your glorious presence. That great ship is one from the Portuguese Indies, which, having suffered by a storm, was captured by the Turks with little or no trouble. According to the account of some of the Portuguese that were on board of her, the spices and other merchandize, in pearls and diamonds, which she contains, are worth above a million. Nothing has been touched, nor had the Turks laid their hands upon anything; for heaven had intended the whole, and ordained that it should be kept for your majesty-to whom, for the gift of one only jewel, I shall fully owe ten more such cargoes; which jewel your majesty has already promised me my good Isabella-with whom I shall be richly rewarded, not only for this service, such as it is, which I have done your majesty, but for many more which I purpose to do in order to repay some part of the infinite sum for which, in bestowing on me this jewel, your majesty makes me your debtor."

"Rise, Ricaredo," answered the queen; and believe me, that if for a price I were to give you Isabella, so highly do I value her that you could pay me for her neither with all that ship contains, nor with all that remains in the Indies. I give you her because I pro

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mised her to you, and because she is worthy of you, and you of her. It is your worth alone that merits her. If you have kept the jewels in that ship for me, I have kept your jewel for you; and although you may think I do not much in restoring to you what is yours, yet I know that therein I do you a great favour; for the treasures that are purchased with desire have their value in the heart of the purchaser-they are worth the value of a heart-to which no price in the world is adequate. Isabella is yours. There she is. Whenever you please, you can take entire possession of her; and I believe it will be with her good-will-for she has good sense, and will know how to estimate the kindness you do her-for favour I will not call it as I choose to do myself the honour to consider that only I can do her a favour. Go and repose yourself; and come to me to-morrow, for I want to hear a more particular account of your achievements; and bring me those two persons you mentioned, who desired to come and see me, that I may return them my thanks."

Ricaredo kissed her majesty's hands in acknowledgment of the many favours she was doing him.

The queen then retired; and the ladies came round Ricaredo. One of them, named the lady Tansi, who had become a great favourite of Isabella's, and was regarded as the most clever, free, and witty of them all, said to him :"How is this, Senor Ricaredo? Why these arms !—Did you think, peradventure, that you were coming to fight with your enemies? Truly, all of us here are your friends-excepting indeed, the lady Isabella, who, as being a Spaniard, is obliged to bear you no good will."

"Let her but remember to bear me any, lady Tansi," answered Ricaredo, "for so that I but dwell in her remembrance, I well know that her will towards me will be good; since her great virtue, excellent understanding, and incomparable beauty, are quite inconsistent with the deformity of ingratitude."

To this Isabella replied; "Senor Ricaredo, since I am to be yours, it is for you to take in me all the satisfaction you desire, in recompense for the praises you have bestowed upon me, and the favours you intend to do me."

Ricaredo had other pleasant conversation with Isabella, and with the other ladies, amongst whom was a little girl who kept her eyes all the time fixed upon Ricaredo's garb-lifting up the

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"And so they do," answered the lady Tansi. "For look at Ricaredo-does he not seem like the sun himself come down upon earth and going through the streets in that attire ?"

All the ladies laughed at the child's remark, and at the lady Tansi's incongruous simile. Nor were there wanting evil-speakers who called it an impertinence in Ricaredo that he had come armed to the palace; although he was exculpated by others, who said that, being an officer, he was at liberty to do so, in order to shew his gallant bearing.

Ricaredo was received by his parents, friends, kindred, and acquaintances, with every mark of cordial affection. A general rejoicing was made that night in London, for his good success. Isabella's parents were already lodged in Clotaldo's house: Ricaredo having told him who they were, requesting him at the same time to give them no tidings of Isabella until he himself should make the communication: the same intimation was given to the lady Catalina his mother, and to all the men and women servants of their household.

That same night, with many boats and barges, and in the view of numerous spectators, was commenced the unloading of the great ship, which it took more than a week to empty of the great quantity of pepper and other precious merchandise that were stowed in her hold.

The next day, Ricaredo repaired again to court, taking with him Isabella's father and mother, in new apparel, made after the English fashion, telling them that the queen desired to see them. They all three arrived where the queen was, with her ladies about her, expecting Ricaredo, whom she was pleased to favour and flatter by having Isabella close at her side, wearing the very same dress in which she had first beheld her, and looking no less beautiful now than she had done on the former occasion.

Isabella's parents were full of astonishment and admiration, to see so much grandeur and elegance combined. They fixed their eyes upon Isabella, but did not recognize her; although their hearts,

giving presage of the happiness they approached so nearly, leaped within their bosoms, not with anxious alarm, but with a certain feeling of pleasure which they themselves knew not how to account for. The queen would not let Ricaredo remain on his knees before her. She made him rise and seat himself upon a stool which she had placed for the purpose an unwonted favour from the haughty temper of the queen-which made some one say, "Ricaredo sits today, not on the stool they have set for him, but on the pepper he has brought." Another, following up this remark, observed; "This verifies the common saying, that gifts can break through rocks; since those which Ricaredo has brought have softened the stony bosom of our queen.

And a third added,

"Now that he is so well in his seat, many a one will venture to tilt with him."

In fact, this novel honour which the queen vouchsafed to Ricaredo gave occasion of envy to many of those who witnessed it; for every grace that a sovereign bestows upon his favourite, is a shaft that pierces through the heart of the envious.

The queen desired to know from Ricaredo the particulars of the battle with the corsair vessels. He accordingly related it afresh, attributing the victory to God and the valorous right arms of his soldiers, giving praise to them all, but specifying more particularly the deeds of some who had distinguished themselves above the rest-thereby moving the queen to shew favour to them all, but more especially to the more distinguished. And when he came to relate his having given liberty, in her majesty's name, to the Turks and Christians, he added:

"This woman and this man here present (and he pointed to Isabella's parents) are those of whom I told your majesty yesterday that, desiring to behold your greatness, they had earnestly solicited me to bring them with me. They are of Cadiz; and from what they have related to me, and what I have observed in themselves, I know them to be persons of good quality and virtuous

character."

The queen commanded them to approach.

Isabella raised her eyes to look at those who were said to be Spaniards, and moreover from Cadiz-desirous of learning if perchance they were acquainted with her parents. Just as Isabella lifted

her eyes, her mother fixed hers upon her countenance, and stopped short to examine her more attentively. And now in Isabella's memory some confused notion began to be awakened that somewhere or other, in former time, she must have seen the woman now before her.

Her father was in the same uncertainty, not daring to give full credit to the fact which his eyes declared to him.

Ricaredo was earnestly attentive to mark the sensations and emotions of the three doubtful and agitated breasts which hung in such suspense and perplexity as to their mutual recognition.

The queen observed the uncertainty on both sides, and moreover the uneasiness of Isabella, noticing the unusual tremor in which she seemed, and that she lifted her hand repeatedly to her head, as if to adjust her hair.

Isabella meanwhile was wishing that she whom she thought to be her mother would speak to her, as perhaps her hearing would then relieve her from the suspense into which her eyes had thrown her.

The queen told Isabella to desire that woman and that man, in Spanish, to tell her what had induced them to decline enjoying the liberty which Ricaredo had given them-seeing that liberty was the thing dearest not only to beings possessed of reason, but even to the animals, which possessed it not.

Isabella put this question in full to her mother; who, without answering her a word, regardless of everything, half stumbling, and forgetful at once of all reverence, all fear, and all courtly propriety, hurried up to Isabella, lifted her hand to her right ear, and there discovered a black mole, which mark confirmed her suspicion. Thoroughly convinced that Isabella was her daughter, she threw her arms round her, and exclaimed aloud, " Oh, daughter of my heart! oh, dearest treasure of my soul !" and, unable to say more, the sunk fainting into Isabella's arms.—( Illustration, see p. 193).

Her father, no less tender than discreet, spoke his feelings only by the tears that stole silently down his venerable face and beard.

Isabella laid her cheek fondly to her mother's; then turning her eyes towards her father, she gave him such a look as told him at once the pleasure and the uneasiness which she felt at beholding them there.

The queen, in wonder at such an occurrence, said to Ricaredo, " It strikes me, Ricaredo, that you have been the

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