unhappily for France, bigotry too often usurps the place of devotion there. I like not the influence le Père Maubois has acquired over her-mais quoi faire? My plan would be, to praise him extravagantly to her; for, prone as she is to opposition, this may induce her to take the other side of the question, and ultimately render her disgusted with him.

The newspapers have commenced commenting on Lord Nottingham's marked attention to Lady Annandale. Their liaison is an

nounced as an established fact, though neither of them have, I dare say, ever contemplated such a dénoûment to their romantic passion.

Augusta will, probably, never see these statements, for she detests scandal too much ever to look into those journals where it may be found; and her adorer, Lord Nottingham, has an equal aversion from it: consequently, their names may be coupled together, and

the most injurious insinuations relative to them circulated about this overgrown metropolis,

while they remain in total ignorance of the amusement which such statements afford to their friends, and the triumph it furnishes to their enemies.

Lord Annandale will not, however, be left long in a similar state of ignorance on the subject. Some half dozen dear friends, who cannot bear that a man should not know whatever must inflict pain, will write him anonymous letters to apprise him of his supposed dishonour. They will, probably, send him the paragraphs that announce the mortifying intelligence; and his is precisely the character to be most irritated by this publicity, because his vanity is more intense than his love, and infinitely more vulnerable.

Lord Annandale would have been a good man, had he not lived too much in the heart

less circle which has demoralised his principles and blunted his better feelings; leaving his amour propre, with its inordinate cravings for indulgence, sole arbiter of his own actions, and the sole criterion by which he judges the conduct of others. The woman who would administer to his vanity might not only rule him despotically, but would find in him a kind and affectionate friend; for his disposition is good, and his nature grateful: but she who wounded this omnipotent passion would lose all influence over him, and meet a severe censor and an implacable judge.

Augusta's visible indifference has deeply mortified him; and so soured his opinion of her character, that he will be prone to give ear to charges against her which, had she conciliated, instead of wounding his vanity, he would not for a moment entertain.

This state of their relative feelings and po

sitions assists my project; and the conviction that Lady Annandale never would be likely to feel an affection for her lord, nor to enjoy felicity in her union with him, reconciles me to the scheme of dissolving the ill-assorted marriage; and of securing for myself the husband who cannot form her happiness, and whose happiness she, certainly, does not constitute.

Whenever a qualm of conscience intrudes, to suggest a doubt whether the means I employ to accomplish the end I aim at be justifiable, I sooth it by mental vows to be so good and irreproachable, when I have gained the goal, that I shall atone for the sins committed by the way.

Is it not thus, that all who do wrong silence. "the still small voice of conscience?" for no one, I do believe, was ever yet so obdurate of heart as to meditate a perpetual perseverance

in crime. Helas! do I not resemble him who, plunged in guilt, declared that, when he had acquired a certain sum, he would forsake his evil ways, and turn honest?

I am interrupted, and can only add, that, whether faulty or good, I shall be always,

Chère Delphine,

Your affectionate friend,

CAROLINE.

MISS MONTRESSOR TO LA MARQUISE

DE VILLEROI.

MA CHÈRE DELPHINE, -I owe you a dédommagement for the abstruse essay, sur les mœurs Anglais, I inflicted on you in my last letter; and shall, therefore, treat you with lighter matter in this.