ringlets of black hair hung about his head to his neck, and these, together with a voice affected in its feminine softness, afforded a singular contrast to his massy shape.

He greeted Tremore with a smile and a shake of the hand, due to a friendship of some years' standing, and gave him to understand that, hearing he had arrived late the previous night, he had driven over from town early to make a proffer of his service.

"This is contrary to my usual habits,” he said, "for, by Jove, I don't care to get up before noon; but Cavendish is such a capital fellow that I would do any thing for a friend of his." Then, finding that Tremore was ignorant of the topics with which he was best acquainted, he dressed up some fashionable gossip for his amusement, and ended by insisting that he should accompany him to town that morning, that he might have the pleasure of introducing him to a few people worth knowing, without further delay. He good-naturedly relieved his new friend of all further trouble in the matter, took him over the house, which he supposed he had not yet had time to inspect, visited the stables, picked out a horse he should like to have when they had time to talk of the price,

ordered an open carriage, and, in an hour more, was rolling towards town with Tremore's maiden check for a hundred pounds in his pocket.

Yet the novice was in safe hands. Freeborn knew the injunctions of Cavendish were not to be trifled with, and, content with the latitude allowed him, he had no present thought of transgressing it.

At times, when his escapades were more than commonly objectionable, he had been in great danger from a cabal of losing his position, and being outlawed from good society. But he had so much ready wit and natural ability, that in the end he contrived to double on his adversaries, and to turn the laugh against them. He had a talent for satirical verses, and could circulate in this way caricatures which had a most burlike quality of sticking to the backs on which they were once fastened. When his passions were aroused-for he had passions only to be disarmed by a check for a handsome amount-his muse rose to the coarse vindictiveness of Churchill's; the knowledge of his power in this line, secured him impunity for acts closely bordering on scampishness. As he was as ready to sell his enmity

as his friendship, those who shunned his acquaintance were not sorry to purchase his neutrality. Thus caressed and fearedtolerated and used-played with and disliked he led the merry careless life of a chevalier of fortune, with the doors of the best houses ever open to him, and preying, like other flies of the world, upon the weakest, most exposed, and most tainted parts of nature.

CHAPTER X.

This is worshipful society,

And fits the mounting spirit like myself.

SHAKSPEARE.

THE morning was lovely. The ardent sun of June was tempered by the soft, fleecy, white clouds, which hung in the air, forming a beautiful contrast to the bright sapphire sky, and by the gentle air, which kept all nature in tremulous and pleasing agitation. The equipage in which Tremore found himself-for as it rolled swiftly along he was hardly conscious how he got into it—was perfect of its kind. It was balanced on the most delicate springs-it was lined with the costliest embroidery-it seemed to accommodate itself luxuriously to the shape, whatever attitude was assumed; the wheels rolled easily and noiselessly—the tall, high-spirited horses, kept in check by the polished harness, seemed to whirl the carriage along as a tro

phy; while the coachman, in his faultless garb, and the two grooms in the rumble, might have passed for pieces of mechanism, so precise and respectful was their demeanour.

Was it a dream after all? The fresh invigorating air, the cheerful chat of Freeborn, the increasing animation and bustle of the roads as they came nearer town, forbade any such supposition. Tremore leant back in the barouche, and over his features there stole involuntarily the expression of the joy which filled his breast. He was sensible of the improvement effected in his appearance by his fashionable dress; and the air of deference which peeped through the freedom of his companion's manner, taught him that he was suddenly exalted into a personage of considerable importance.

It is only use which palls enjoyment. Paley was of opinion that a man might be repaid for the torment of a smart attack of the gout, by the delightful sensation of ease he enjoyed when the pain left him. Perhaps, in like manner, the pangs of poverty and privation might not seem evils if there succeeded to them the grateful antidotes of luxurious enjoyment-if for the hungry there were always prepared a feast of venison, and