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roused him from his dream, and told him that five farther minutes had dwindled away

from the poor balance of the remaining portion of his time.

"Good heavens !" he exclaimed, "only ten minutes more !"

"Are you going away in the mail ?" she enquired.

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: There was another pause-yet by this time not only did her hand lay altogether passive in one of his, but his other arm had sunk unconsciously from the upright back of the old mahogany settee, and was very nearly, if not quite, in the enjoyment of a resting place 'all unrepressed and unreproved' around the waist of his now perhaps too confiding companion.

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Heigho!" said a deep sigh of the Bengal lieutenant of native infantry.

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Heigho!" whispered a scarcely audible one of the gentle maiden by his side.

"The half hour's nearly out!" grunted a gruff voice in the outer passage.

They both started up, with one accord, their eyes fixed upon the clock; six or seven still further minutes had there fled away into the lap of eternity.

"What a shame!" exclaimed the youngster, "to be snatched away when just taught

to

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Nay, Sir, you'll soon forget the little inn at Bridport."

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"Never-Mary-I fear we never- ; our hero, as befitting him, was getting high up in the heroics.-He turned around-the shawl that had been wrapt about his neck— for the sake of landing it (for a favorite sister too, I am ashamed to avow) now caught his eye-as, possibly, it had Mary's some little time before.

He took it up, and throwing it round her miniature person "will you wear this, Mary, for my sake-for the sake of?"

She blushed crimson deep as the shawl itself, and gently attempted to remove it, There was necessarily a slight, faint struggle ;-they are brought closer by itcloser and still unconsciously much nearer together-till their lips

"The half hour's out!"-sung forth savagely a loud voice, the unwelcome owner of it, popping himself into the room at the same moment. "The half hour gentlemen," reiterated half a score of tongues in every direction. "Coach up!-all ready!"

“ Well—well—I'll follow you immediately," muttered the miserable and disappointed lieutenant. 66 Plague on their impertinence," he continued. But all again was for a moment clear, and turning to his companion-.

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My dear-dear girl," he hurriedly murmured-and again-somehow-I am sure I can't say how-their lips-.

"Oh-heavens !-heavens !" screamed poor Mary, "There's the posset all over-all

flaring over in the grate-what shall I do? what shall I do? The chimney will be on fire !"

"Coach quite ready, Sir,-waiting for you !" said the landlady herself approaching "why! what's all this ?"-she shrieked out as she entered! The lieutenant huddled on his boat cloak; he attempted one tender parting look, but it was in vain! In one moment more, he was in the coach itself, and the crabbed Cornish attorney and his tin case of title deeds in the back seat before him!-Oh that too fleeting half hour-Harry Seymour often, often dreams of it, he tells me to this very day!

THE DURBAR.

And, like this insubstantial pageant, faded!

SHAKSPEARE.

Ir was my fortune, some time ago, to be present at a Durbar at the Government house; and, notwithstanding it was conducted with all wonted etiquette, and propriety, yet, as every thing connected with Eastern ceremony presents itself to the imagination only in the semblance of expensive show and magnificence, for which alone I had foolishly prepared myself, I returned from the spectacle, more than ordinarily disappointed. There were circumstances, also, which gave rise to feelings I had little anticipated. As far as regards the splendour

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