, 1859-05-20

10 us hcENhut IN tue way
"ls his servant In the way? No, sir, the
other gentleman's gone too?"
His servant gone with him! Why, how did
/" How did they goa Why, in post-chay
and four; to be sure-they sent for him from
Newman's."
"Heavens! how provoking! Did they start
eaTiyl"
"Start eiriys nd, to be sure, they started late ;
as soon as ever master came home from dining
in Russell Square,"
Russell Square! what the devil should John
Fraser do dining in Russell Square! How very
dstressing!"
"Master came home two hours before Mr..
Robert expected him, and ordered four horses to
be got ready directly"
"Indeed! What can possibly have hap.
penedi"
"What has happeneds Oh, Mr.. Robert told
US all about what had happened; says he, my
masters great friend Mr.. Luttrel, is clean ruined;
his lawyer mans run off with all his money.
Masters in great quandary about It, says Mr..
Robert, 'and so I suppose says he, that mas
ter and am going out Of town little while to
keep clear Of the ness"
"MercifIl God! and can such cold-hearted
treachery really bel"
"And So" continued the girl, perfectly regard
less Of my vehement ejaculation, "and so told
Mr.. Robert hoped luck would 20 with them; /;
for you know sir, it's all very well to have friends
and such like, as long as they've got everything
comfortable about them; but when they're
broke up, or anything Of that, why, then its
another sort Of matter, and we have no right to
NEEDLE or make in their concerns"
The girl was perfect philosopher upon the
true Hume and Roehefoucault principles. She
continued to promulgate her maxims in the same
low, monotous, cold, languid vein; but did not
remain to profit BY them. hurried away TO
conceal my sorrow and my disappointment in
the privacy Of those apartments where, on the
preceding evening, surrounded by SO many COM
forts, had proudly, perhaps too proudly, con-
templated my stock Of happiness, and had at
largo expatiated on my many deceitfll topics Of
selEgratulation. How miscrably was t at stock
Of happiness now impaired But hopeful as
am BY nature, my sanguine temperament still
triumphed; and as | assembled the staircase to
my apartment, Maria's image presented itself in
smiles to my imagination, and repeated to my
self my fortunes gOnei my friend has deserted
mel but MAriai thou, dearest, still remainst to
me. III tranquilize my mind by the sweet
counsel Of your daily letter, and then proceed to
deliberate and act for myseicn knew that the
post must by this time have arrived.
approached the table where my cards and
letters were constantly deposited, but no letter
was there. could not believe my eyes; rang
and asked for my letters; none had arrived dur.
ing my absence from home. "Iad the post gore
byp ayes, many an hour ago." II was too
true, then; even Maria was perfidious to my mis-
fortunes. This was the severcst blow Of ALL
This could not have anticipated, Ny heart was
full, brimful Of sorrow before; and this addition
Of disappointment made Il overflow. Any man
who has keen susceptibility Of madness and
injury-I need not have written keen susccpti-
bility Of madness for the sense Of wrong is always
proportioned tn the sense Of bencit-gratitudc
and resentment arc always, believe, commen-
surate in the character; and he who is easily
touched by the attentions Of those he loves, will
be as readily affected by their neglect: but
however, any man who Is keenly sensible Of un-
kindness will comprehend the effect produced
upon my mind by the absence Of my expected,
my accustomed letter. The cause Of my distrust
was apparently slight-possibly accidental; but
occurring at such time, It fell with all tho weight
Of last and consummating calamity on one who
was already ovcrthrown. Oh! how weak, how
childish, how foolish are we, even the wisest Of
US all, In moments such as these clenched
my teeth; stamped upon the floor; tossed
about my arms with the vain and objectless pas
sion Of an angry child. My dog, amazed at the
n
eyes upon me, and stared with establishment, as
well no might, at the agitated position Of his
master. Isaw, or imagined saw, an expression
Of tenderness and commisseration In his looks |;
and, In an agony Of tears--dont laugh at me,
for in the same situation, under the same ciFcum-
stances, you probably would have done the same
II flung myself down on the floor by his side,
exclaiming, ayes, Neptune, everything on earth
has torsaken me but you-my ortune-my
friend, my lOve-with my fortune; and you, you
alone, my good, old faithful dog, are constant TO
me in the hour Of my afiictionp started up
and paced my apartment backwards and forwards
with wide and rapid strides, fevered with the
rapid succession Of painful events, bewildcrcd in
mind, afflicted at heart perpexed in the extreme!
There was no place IN my thoughts for the fi-
ture; was absorbed wholly in the present;
was careless Of the loss Of my pat-imonv. Il
was gone; and willingly resigned It. Ny dis
tracted fancy began to view the robbery rather
as benefit than an injury. II had revealed to
me, In time, the baseness Of the world, the fal-
lacy Of human attachments, tho Inconsistency Of
woman, the trcaehery Of man. ! had, in one
morning, learnt that tho world was lie; and
love name and friendship cheat The les
son bad indeed been dearly bought bv the ex-
change Of attiuence for poverty; but in the de-
spair and bitterness Of my abandonment, should
have scornCd to purchase It at an inferior price.
1t was worth all, and more than had given for
it, felt grateful to Drayton for the act Of fraud
which had in 4 moment rendered me thus indi-
gent and wise; Nould not attempt the recovery
Of the wealth he had purloined. That wealth,
as looked down upon Il from the heights Of my
passion, seemed TO dwindle into an inconsiderable
sPeck, and was disdained as mere noxious bait
for falschood and duplicity: "Let him." ejac-
ulated, "let him keep my money! let il attract
towards him, as II did towards myself lying
smiles and artificial tenderness; let him, as ]
have done, fx his heart upon the beautiful de-
ccptiOns which his afiuence shall co1jure up
around him; let him be robbed, as have been;
let him, as have done. detect the error Of the