dance. Now, however, he dared not venture to exhibit the slightest indication of recognition; and she, if struck by similar recollections, thought fit to conceal them, and behave precisely as though she then saw and heard of Mr. Elliott for the first time in her life. He could not, of course, find fault with her for this; but he felt it deeply and bitterly. He little knew how much he wronged her! She instantly recollected him -and it was only the dread of her father that restrained her from a friendly greeting. Having once adopted such a line of conduct, it became necessary to adhere to it and she did. But could she prevent her heart going out in sympathy towards the poor, friendless, unoffending clerk whom her father treated more like a mere menial than a respectable and confidential servant-him whom she knew to be "Fallen, fallen, fallen, fallen, And Every day that she saw him, her woman's heart throbbed with pity towards him; and pity is indeed akin to love. How favourably for him did his temper and demeanour contrast with those of her father! she saw him placed daily in a situation calculated to exhibit his real character-his disposition, whether for good or evil. The fact was, that he had become an object of deep interest-even of love-to her, lang before the thought had ever occurred to him that she viewed him, from day to day, with feelings different from those with which she would look at the servant that stood at her father's sideboard at dinner. His mind was kept constantly occupied by his impetuous employer, and his hundred questions about everything that had or had not happened every day in the city Thus for nearly three months had these unconscious lovers been brought daily for an hour or two into each other's presence. He had little idea of the exquisite unfeeling treatment of him, nor of the many timid attempts she made, in his absence, to prevent the recurrence of such treatment; and as for the great man, Mr. Hillary, it never crossed his mind as being possible that two young hearts could, by any means, when in different ranks of society, one rich, the other poor, be warmed into a feeling of regard, and even love for one another. One afternoon Elliott was obliged to come a second time that day from the city, bearing important despatches from Mincing Lane to Mr. Hillary, who was sitting in his invalid chair, flanked on one hand by his daughter, and on the other by a little table, on which stood wine and fruit. Poor Elliott looked, as well he might, exhausted with his long and rapid walk through the fervid sunshine. 66 Well, sir-what now?" said her father, quickly and peremptorily, at the same time eagerly stretching forth his hand to receive a letter which Elliott presented to him. 66 Humph! Sit down there, sir, for a few minutes !" Elliott obeyed. Miss Hillary, who had been reading, touched with Elliott's pale and wearied look, whispered to her father, "Papa-Mr. Elliott looks dreadfully tired-may I offer him a glass of wine?" "Yes, yes," replied Mr. Hillary, hastily, without removing his eyes from the letter he had that instant opened. Miss Hillary instantly poured out a glass of wine; and as Elliott approached to take it from the table, with a respectful bow, his eye encountered hers, which was instantly withdrawn; but not before it had cast a glance upon him that electrified him-that fell suddenly like a spark of fire amid the combustible feelings of a most susceptible but subdued heart. It fixed the fate of their lives. The train so long laid had been at length unexpectedly ignited, and the confounded clerk returned or rather staggered towards his chair, fancying that everything in the room was whirling around him. It was well for both of them that Mr. Hillary was at that eventful moment absorbingly engaged with a letter announcing the sudden arrival of three ships with large cargoes of an article of which he had been attempting a monopoly, and in doing so had sunk a very large sum of ready money. In vain did the conscious and confused girl-confused as Elliott-remove her chair to the window, with her back towards him, and attempt to proceed with the book she had been reading. Her head seemed in a whirlpool. "Get me my desk, Mary, immediately," said her father, suddenly. 66 No, indeed, papa, you didn't," replied Miss Hil'lary, as suddenly, for her father's voice had recalled her from a strange revery. 2 "My desk, Mary-my desk-dy'e hear?" repeated her father, in a peremptory manner, still conning over the letter which told him, in effect, that he would retire to bed that night four or five thousand pounds poorer than he rose from it-ignorant that within the last few moments, in his very presence, had happened that which was to put an end for ever to all his dreams of a coronet glittering upon his daughter's brow! Miss Hillary obeyed her father's second orders, carefully looking in every direction but that in which she would have encountered Elliott; and whispering a word or two into her father's ear, quitted the room. Elliott's heart was beating quickly when the harsh tones of Mr. Hillary, who had worked himself into a very violent humour, fell upon his ear, directing him to return immediately to the city, and say he had no answer to send till the morning, when he was to be in attendance at an early hour. Scarce knowing whether he stood on his head or his heels, Elliott hurriedly bowed, and withdrew. Borne along on the current of his tumultuous emotions, he seemed to fly down the swarming City Road; and when he reached the dull dingy little back counting house where he w fnd till a late the world for his task. Could he possibly be mistaken in interpreting Miss Hillary's look? Was it not corroborated by her subsequent conduct? And, bythe-way, now that he came to glance backward into the two or three months during which he had been almost daily in her presence, divers little incidents started up into his recollection, all tending the same way. "Heighho!" exclaimed Elliott, laying down his yet unused pen, after a long and bewildering revery-" I wonder what Miss Hillary is thinking about! Surely I have had a kind of day dream! It can't have really happened! And yet-how could there have been a mistake? Heaven knows I had taken nothing to excite or disorder me-except, perhaps, my long walk! Here's a coup de soleil, by-the-way, with a witness! But only to think of it-Miss Hillary— daughter of Jacob Hillary, Esq.-in love with-an under clerk of her father's-pho! it will never do! I'll think of it to-morrow morning." Thus communed Elliott with himself, by turns writing, pausing, and soliloquizing, till the lateness of the hour compelled him to apply to his task in good earnest. He did not quit his desk till it had struck ten; from which period till that at which he tumbled into his little bed, he fancied that scarcely five minutes had elapsed. He made his appearance at Bullion House the next morning with a sad fluttering about the heart, but it soon subsided, for Miss Hillary was not present to prolong his agitation. He had not been seated for many minutes, however, before he observed her in a distant part of the gardens, apparently tending some flowers. As his eye followed the movements of her graceful figure, he could not avoid a faint sigh of regret at his own absurdity in raising such a superstructure of splendid possibilities upon so slight a foundation. His attention was at that instant arrested by Mr. Hillary's multifarious commands for the city: and, in short, Miss Hillary's absence from town for about a week, added to a great increase of business at the counting house, owing to an extensive failure of a foreign correspondent, gradually restored Elliott to his senses, and banished the intrusive image of his lovely tormentor. Her unequivocal exhibition of feeling, however-unequivocal at least to him-on the occasion of the next meeting, instantly revived all his former excitement, and plunged him afresh into the soft tumult of doubts, hopes, and fears, from which he had so lately emerged. Every day that he returned to Mr. Hillary brought him fresh evidence of the extent to which he had encroached upon Miss Hillary's affections; and strange, indeed, must be that heart which, feeling itself alone and despised in the world, can suddenly find itself the object of a most enthusiastic and disinterested attachment without kindling into a flame of grateful affection. Was there anything wonderful or improbable in the conduct attributed to Miss Hillary? No. A girl of frank and generous feeling, she saw in one, whom undeserved misfortune had placed in a very painful and trying position, the constant exhibition of high qualities; a patient and dignified submission to her father's cruel and oppressive treatment a submission on her account; she beheld his high feeling conquering misfortune; she saw in his eye-his every look-his whole demeanour, susceptibilities of an exalted description: and beyond all this -last, though not least, as Elliott acted the gentleman, so he looked it—and a handsome gentleman, too! So it came to pass, then, that these two hearts became acquainted with each other, despite the obstacles of circumstance and situation. A kind of telegraphing courtship was carried on between them daily, which must have been observed by Mr. Hillary, but for the engrossing interest with which he regarded the communications of which Elliott was always the bearer. Hillary began, however, at length, to recover the use of his limbs, and rapidly to gain general strength. He Mr. |