the power of love to level all distinctions,

and

"Lay the shepherd's crook beside the sceptre."

"In our own time," he said, "has not the girl of a roadside inn married an archduke of Austria; and what is more common than to find unequal marriages in the annals of our great houses?"

"I fear I must take part against you,' Bellstar said, addressing the ardent youth. "When Miss Eleanor Gwynne goes to church with Lord Methusaleh, wait before you decide that the girl has any great catch, though his lordship's relatives denounce her as an artful hussey. The footman who, a century back, was married by his mistress-a lady of the great Rockingham family-lived, I daresay, to regret his plush and his shoulderknots."

Florian coloured; for the discourse suggested to him how little hope there was, that any of the fair beings, whose admiration he had so strongly excited, would be likely to favour him were his real circumstances disclosed. He remarked, with a shade of dis

content

"According to this, there is nothing like

disinterested affection in the world. The heart of every woman is for sale; and every man only considers how he can make the most of the hand and name he has to confer. Can you agree with this, Lady Geraldine?"

"Oh no, no!" she answered with animation. "Heaven be thanked! such thoughts do not enter into the hearts of young people. They fall in love with those above them in rank, in wealth, in estimation, in the most natural manner in the world; and are at the same time properly indignant at the presumption of their inferiors, should they dare do more than admire them at the humblest distance. It is something, as we cannot root selfishness out of our hearts, to remain in happy ignorance of its existence, and to fancy we are cherishing a pure and holy instinct, when the cunninger mind is intent on disposing of our affections to the best advantage."

"Ah!" exclaimed Bellstar, "how many manoeuvring mammas might be the wiser for our chat; and how many young hearts be saved from disappointment, if the pernicious notion of 'good matches' was altogether done away with!"

"Look!" exclaimed Smith,

'With thee my song began, with thee shall end.'

"Here is Miss Rhoda Haughton advancing, as if she were Semiramis at the least. Certainly, she is very handsome, and her proud fearlessness sets off her bold beauty. Come, we must now ride quickly, to be in time. for dinner."

CHAPTER XX.

A man who has not seen the inside of parties, nor had opportunities to examine their secret motives, can hardly conceive how little a share principle of any sort-though principle of some sort or other be always pretended-has in the determination of their conduct.-BOLINGBROKE.

A FEW days after this, Florian received a somewhat embarrassing proof of his importance. The representation of Littlewit-a borough in which the influence of Cavendish was predominant, became vacant by the death of the sitting member, and Tremore was appealed to by all parties concerned to name his successor.

He prudently declined the request of a deputation of the chief burgesses to allow himself to be put in nomination, on the ground that he wished to see more of life, and acquire more experience, before he took any part in public affairs. He had, however, already allowed Mr. Laneton to introduce him to some members of the govern

ment. He had dined with one minister, and been presented to the Queen by another; so that, greatly to his surprise, he was informed by the capitalist and by Freeborn, that it would be very improper for him to return an opposition candidate. This was awkward, as he had promised his influence to Bellstar; who, for certain reasons, was extremely anxious to get elected. He frankly stated to Florian that Cavendish, a few weeks before his departure, had expressed a wish to see him in Parliament, and had promised to consult him whenever a seat fell vacant on his hands; but, at the same time, he said that no promise was given, and that, so far as he was concerned, he considered that Tremore was free to act exactly as he pleased,

More than common importance was attached to this election. In several recent contests, the ministerial candidates had been defeated; their majority in the House was dwindling, and a cry was raised that reaction was gaining ground. Littlewit was an agricultural borough; and Cavendish, though he had friends in the cabinet, was politically opposed to them. He, therefore, would have proved impracticable; but, luckily, he