Year: 1865

again, and when once my uncle had
seen her, was certain he would al.
low us to be engaged, for l felt he
would no more be able to resist her
Ipowcrs of charming than myself, and
in spite OF her having no money, for
was not my own fortune, which was
considerable enoughp He was q
rich man himself and would no doubt
help us, for he had always been most
kind and generous to me. arrived
in England a fortnight ago, and re


NAMED in London till within the last
few days. ! came to look up a col.
lege friend in this neighborhood, and
was induced by him to accept Lady
LIS invitation to the ball. Just be-


fore leaving my friends house with
him last evening, letter was put
into my hands. On opening 1t |
found it was from my uncle, and
dated from Paris. He told me that
his return had been hurried by cir.
cumstances which took him TO France.
His business would be settled in n
few days, and on lea, ing the CONT
nent he should make some visits
among his friends in England, and
should afterwards present himself at
my lodgings in town, when he ex.
pected me to conduct him to the
place where Constance was staying,
and that he should have lust one
week in which to make acquaintance
before he must leave Europe again
for heightened period. lie prom


ised, however, to write and inform
me of the exact time when / might
expect him, mentioning three weeks
as probably the outside time before
we should meet. Here was a fix for
me to be in. What should / do? II
l wrote to beg Constance TO hurry
her departure, even If she would un


dertake the voyage alone, there
would be no time for her TO make her
preparations and to sail, so as to
reach England before my uncle
should have left it, / was in q sad
dilemma, and wanted to rush back to
London by the next train, to consult
a friend in whom / had confided in
my affair, and whose advice valued;
but Monckton, m college friend,
persuaded me to accompany him still
to the ball. "You can think the
matter over, old fellow said he, "as
well there as anywhere, and there is
not time for you to catch the Lon
don train now" / Glanced to see
you when the night was halt over,
and being struck with your rescm.
blance to Constantlcc, j begged to
be introduced TO you by the gentle.
man TO whom you were speaking, O,
whom Monckton knew something.
did so also partly to acquiese in
his wish that l should dance, as he
said my not doing so looked so re.
markable, and Lady l.. had asked
him if his friend never danced. On
learning your name, it all at once oc.
Cured to me that Constance had
once told me that she had an unclC
and aunt living in the north OF Eng.
land. 1t struck me, too, that it was
just possible that you might be G
cousin of hers-hence my second
question to you whilst dancing the
quadrille together-my ideas were
in such a desperate state of confusion
at the time that l hardly comprehend


ed how excessively impertinent you
must have thought me, when asked
you the other questions. Your re
plies put the idea into my head whicl
induced me to beg you to let mt
write and explain myself, and now
come to the disclosure of the desir,
by which l hope, with your assis


tance, to obviate the difficulty of my
position. knowing my uncle's res


olutc purpose when he has made ur
his mind to anything, felt sure thai
he would keep his word, and that un


less he could see Constance and be
able to judge of her himself, there
would be no hope of his consent to
an engagement, and if we waited un


til he should again have an oppor


tunity OF doing so, we should have to
remain as we were until j am TWEEN


ty five, / would keep constant to
the end Of time itself, but do not
fell quite so sure about my love
surrounded rs she'is by admirers, a:
said before. All! if she should
forget me! No, it is better to secure
her at all RISKS, Let me implore you tc
help me-you can if you will--yor
have the same name, are her cousin


| am almost sure. Ifyou would con


slider my petition, oh! how happy
you would make me; you would re
licve me from tremendous load o.


anxiety. II you are her cousin, yor
cannot fail to know her near relatives
who live in Devonshire. Cannot
you pay them q visit in about three
weeks time, and confer the immense
favor upon me-of consenting tc
personate my Mary Constance rol
the week which my uncle proposes
to pass in her company? ! will LEI
you know, in case you afford me this
happiness, the exact day when / shall
have to conduct my uncle to visit
the Fortescues for this purpose. j
shall await your decision anxiously


and shall fear the worst until | hear


So ended Henry Ashlord's letter


for by this name he signed himself.
What q strange request 1t was,
however, quite true that he was hal


engaged to my cousin for l had