which such uncharitable conclusions had been drawn. When, however, Mrs. Chatworth proceeded to detail what they had seen and heard, and was about to follow up her narrative by some sneering and stinging jibes, Emily's patience could endure no longer; she reddened up to the very top of her forehead, her eyes sparkled, and too much carried away by her feelings to be very guarded as to her expressions, she exclaimed with a passionate energy, "For shame, Madam, for shame! You ought to have known Helen Trevanian better. She is too noble, too pure, too high-souled, to be capable of any thing dishonourable, or even clandestine. I know not, I care not whether this be a mistake, a calumny, or an utter falsehood; but I will swear that Helen is innocent. None that know her will believe a syllable of such a tale; she is not to be judged of like other women."

No allusion to Mrs. Chatsworth was intended by the conclusion of this speech; her conscience, however, making her feel it as a sar

casm, she bit her lips, and with an affected calmness that ill agreed with the taunting toss of her head, replied, "I dare say you may have very good reasons, my dear, for vindicating your friend; but you should be taught that the word falsehood is not usually applied by one lady to the assertions of another; and it might become you, my dear, to recollect that Lady Crockatt, and Miss Crawley, can support my testimony, so that we are three to one, my dear Miss Hartfield."

"Were three hundred affidavits brought to me," cried Emily, with increased vehemence, "I would tear them all to pieces, and toss them to the winds, if they impeached Helen's virtue." In the transport of the moment, and without being conscious of the action, she tore her fan into shreds as she spoke, and scattered them in the air.

"You are warm, my dear," said Mrs. Chatsworth, smiling maliciously; " you should have therefore kept your fan to cool your passion. And, after all, if Miss Trevanian chooses to make secret assignations with the man I saw-"

"How do you know it was a man that you saw?" interrupted Emily; "you only observed-" "Buzz!" cried the Squire; 66 we may trust Mrs. Chatsworth for that. Haugh! haugh!" "Really, Mr. Hartfield, you give your tongue too much liberty-I cannot submit to such insinuations," said Mrs. Chatsworth, bridling up with a prodigious air of indignant virtue.

A rude stare, and another "Haugh! haugh!” were all the answer vouchsafed by the Squire, who, turning to Emily, continued, "Zooks! girl, why dost keep such a coil about the matter? She does but follow her mother's exam. ple. When didst ever know a tame bird come out of a wild bird's nest? I had a racing mare, black Bess, that bolted out of the course at Honiton meeting, and sink me! if her colt, the bay filly with the star forehead, didn't serve me the self-same trick at Dorchester, and lost me the silver cup."

"I have a real regard for Miss Trevanian," observed Sir Ambrose Jessop," but when we have the ocular and auricular testimony of three ladies, for all of whom I have a not less rooted

respect, it is not only hard to imagine, but difficult to believe, and impossible to fancy that -hem! I say it is not only hard to imaginehaw!"

"Sink me! Sir Ambrose," said the Squire,

you're thrown out, at fault, lost the scent, come to a ploughed field; the remainder of your speech has bolted out of the course like my bay colt. Haugh, haugh, haugh!"

“I, too, have a real regard for Miss Trevanian," resumed Mrs. Chatsworth, addressing herself to Emily, "but facts, you know, my dear, are facts."

66

Madam, I am the twin brother of a molecatcher," said Sir Harcourt Slingsby, who had now joined the assemblage, and had overheard the latter part of the conversation; "if I think you acted like the young lady's friend, in thus giving publicity to the occurrence, instead of previously stating it to Miss Trevanian, who might, perhaps, have explained it to your satisfaction."

"She might, she would have done it—she

shall now explain it," exclaimed Emily with vehemence: "these ladies have thrown a slur, a foul stigma, upon her honour. I will have no excuse, either for covert slander, or open calumny; no, not even for significant shrugs of the shoulder, or insidious exclamations of 'Poor thing!' when her name is mentioned. The reparation shall be as public as the wrong, and I insist upon it, that these ladies accompany me back to Harpsden Hall, that the matter may be immediately cleared up to the satisfaction of all parties."

Whoop! Emy; have a care, have a care!" cried the Squire," don't beat the bushes if you wish the fox to remain unfound. If your friend should be caught tripping, she'll not thank you for assisting Mrs. Chatsworth to prove her statement."

"The character of Helen Trevanian," replied Emily, proudly, "like the snow, will become the purer and the more unspotted, the more it is blown upon."

"Sink me! Emy, if you shall go now," re