"Not so happy as you think." "How! Hamilton not happy! Why, he is the gayest dog among us." "Yes, away at his club with you." My lovely friend, you wrong him." "Ah! you little know." A tear glittered in her eye. 'By heavens! dear girl, you terrify me!-the mere suspicion that you were not happy would for ever prevent my being so." 66 'Oh, my lord! I must not hear-you must not dare." "And why should you not possess a friend in me as well as in another? I sympathize in your sorrows as I would in those of a friend of my own This dear hand has, I fear, been wasted." Count, I beg-I entreat-do not make me angry.' sex. Loveliest of lovely creatures !" said the count, "you have not the heart to reward admiration and sympathy with anger. What, weeping!" 66 My lord, if you have any friendship for me, leave me." "Friendship! can you doubt it?" He dropped on one knee. This seemed a favourite position when there was a woman in the case. His homage, doubtless, would have met with a severe rebuke, but a step was heard in the hall. "There-there's James, my lord!" The entrance of the domestic restrained the ardours of the noble foreigner, who was upon his feet, and several yards off, with an adroitness that argued considerable practice. "Pray tell my dear Hamilton," he cried, "that I waited for him an hour. I must bid you adieu!" and he bowed himself out. "Take away the tea-things, James," said Mrs. Hamilton. The man obeyed, and disappeared. His lovely young mistress remained a moment in an attitude of thought. Suddenly rising, she gazed at herself in the mirror; and, as she gazed, her feelings appeared to assume a new mood. She adjusted the blonde and curls around a very charming face. A soft colour suffused her countenance. Her eyes emitted a lustre which had not brightened there for many a day. She sighed; but as she sighed a smile beamed upon her features, and she seemed lost in the mazes of some sad but pleasurable thought. "Yes," at length she said to herself; "happy, happy woman! What would life have been to me then? What a contrast! I should have had my portrait taken-just so. There with that ringlet hanging-so-and the lace brought down a little in the front-ù la Marie Stuart-so. There-the Countess Clairmont! with the drapery over the arm, and the eyes lifted-thus." The reflection of another figure in the glass caused her to start with a slight scream. "Good heavens, Edward, how you frightened me! Is that you?" "Why, who the devil should it be?" replied the husband; "and what are you at there, parading before the glass like a tragedy queen ?" "I was I was trying on my cap; but you startled me so! You are always so rough, Edward." "I am not." "You are." 66 'I am not. Get me some tea," flinging himself heavily down on the sofa; "I'm tired." "Yes, dear Edward, instantly," said the affectionate wife, passing her arm tenderly around his shoulder. "Then why the devil don't you go?" "I have already rung for it. You always come home as cross as- " The husband swore. The wife sighed. James brought the tea. Oh, matrimony! thou But they are waiting for us at the Temples'. CHAPTER V. A New-York Rout-And a nearer View of several "For my mind misgives, Some consequence yet hanging in the stars With this night's revels."-Romeo and Juliet. THE Company were assembled by ten; not all, but nearly twice as many as could press at one time into the ample and splendid apartments. A fashionable New-York mansion is not surpassed anywhere in graceful elegance and complete comfort. There were many rooms blazing with light. The opening hall was carpeted with oilcloth of such rich figures and glossy smoothness as resembled the pictured marble floors of Italian palaces; but the stairs and drawing-rooms, instead of being like those of many European nobles, of cold marble or naked granite, were thickly covered with the most gorgeous carpets. But few paintings and statues graced the walls. There was, however, a profusion of mirrors, marble tables, curtains of crimson velvet studded with gold, vases, urns, and jars of rare flowers; exquisitelywrought lamps, dispensing a soft and veiled radiance, like moonlight, from large globes, sometimes stained with deeply-coloured pictures, and sometimes of a frosty white; couches, ottomans, and sofas of embroidered satin; and a variety of such other costly objects as could be obtained by wealth from any part of the world for the indulgence of pride or the gratification of luxury. The balustrades of the steps which led to the upper apartments were of beautifully-carved mahogany, stained with the rich colour of a ripe chestnut; and, by means of secret apertures, invisible fires diffused through the corridors a mild warmth, permitting all the interior doors of the house to stand open, without afflicting even the sensitive victims of rheuma tism or toothache with the horrors of a draught. Immediately on their arrival, the guests were ushered into separate apartments above, where, according to their sex, they re-arranged their toilet, which even the motion of a carriage might have disturbed. Here, previous to their entrance, floated groups of sylphs and sirens, to reclaim a wandering curl or replant a drooping rose. Then the gentlemen's apartment-the extraordinary preparations to be elegant-the collars bent to the precise angle the cravats tied in the exquisite knot -the shining feet-the curled heads-the crooked elbows-the audacious whiskers. Cupid, hast thou no pity? There is nothing so merciless as a fop. The two principal saloons were thrown into one, by means of the double doors of glassy mahogany. A band of musicians, stationed in an adjoining hall, ever and anon breathed a low air that banished care and gravity, inspired wit and pleasure, and animated rather than interrupted conversation. At the lower end of the apartment stood Mrs Temple; her majestic figure multiplied in the mirrors, her face, always a radiant one, now glowing with pride and conscious beauty. A coronet of diamonds on her queenly brow flashed, burned, and trembled with every motion in the light; and above nodded a snowy plume. She looked thus, in her glory, like the rising sun. By her side stood Flora; not so tall as her mother, nor so commanding, but yet invested by the charm of youthful loveliness with more direct power over the feelings. For her style of beauty, she was admirably dressed in simple white; her hair parted plainly on her forehead, and a rose, fresh culled from nature, the only ornament of her strikingly beautiful head. Venus might have so stood by Juno. It was a study to see Mrs. Temple "receive that stately air-that gracious recognition and graceful acknowledgment-the ready word-the quick repartee the brilliant smile-the beaming look. Then Flora-without any of that dramatic effect -more reserved-more natural-more lovelygrowing like a Guido on the contemplation-more difficult to imitate, and-to forget. Had the proud dame known her true moral glory that night, she would have attached no value to the splendour which surrounded her, but triumphed alone, conspicuous and envied as the mother of Flora Temple. The rooms were filled-the halls-the steps before the door. Family after family of the very highest ton (and are there not the loftiest exclusives in a republic?) came pouring up. Wealthy merchants-eminent counsellors, just from profound tomes, gladly escaped to this scene of light and joy-astute judges, who had perhaps recently |