change my sentiments and feelings; but, thinking as I now think, I can admit of no lover." "Will you suffer me to repeat this conversa tion to Sir Charles?"

Assuredly-sincerity is the first of virtuesI wish not to conceal my situation from him, but your Ladyship must see the necessity of hiding from the world the circumstances I have related to you.

Lady Jane coincided in this opinion, and the conversation dropped.

CHAP. XIV.

"Alas! that Love, so gentle in his view,
Should be so tyrannous and rough in proof."

BUT the hopes of Lady Jane and Sir Charles dropped not with it; they saw that time alone was wanting to insure the success of the latter, and resolved on persevering in the conduct hitherto pursued. Lady Jane went a step farther-she rote to Maningham, and required from him a total renunciation of Constance, and requested he would endeavour to influence her in favour of Sir Charles. The answer to this letter I shall reserve to a future opportunity.

The attentions of Sir Charles, which were pursued without remission, yet without any open declaration, afflicted and pained Constance: a thousand times she wished she could devise any reason for returning to her native solitude at Landrenden, without wounding the heart of Lady Jane and her son-in-law; yet this was impossible-both seemed wrapped up in her society, both were sedulous to amuse and divert her, and neither spoke of the secret wishes which ever

seemed to be uppermost in the thoughts of both. The declining health of Lady Jane, too, demanded from her gratitude a sacrifice of every selfish feeling-she seemed to depend upon her for all those little kindnesses and solicitudes which females are alone competent to bestow upon the infirmities of sickness and old age; her arm supported her in her short walks, her voice soothed the momentary restlessness of pain; and the eye of animated satisfaction with which Lady Jane regarded her, the earnestness with which she congratulated herself on the daughter fate had .bestowed upon her, the energy with which she would intreat her to close her eyes, and not to leave her in her last moments, was not to be resisted.

Several weeks wore away;. Lady Jane appeared gradually sinking under the effects of the disease she laboured with, but her patience and resignation did not fail her. Long inured to suffering, her mind had attained a degree of fortitude rarely equalled; and she supported herself with those serene hopes which the recollection of a life well spent never fails to produce.

Constantly associated together in her sick room, feeling the same anxiety for her ease and comfort, and each lightening the care of the other, Constance and Sir Charles became every day more familiarized to one another-a secret sympathy seemed to approximate them gradually to a friendship, which the sufferings of Lady Jane served to cement more closely; and while the expressions which fell from the lips of Sir

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Charles daily became more tender, Constance, from the peculiarity of her situation, noticed not the alteration, and gradually softened her own conduct towards him. A satisfaction the most serene, a hope the most delightful, filled the bosom of Sir Charles. To be, as it were, the sole companion of Constance-to be the partner of her solicitudes, the repository of her confidence-to be always in her presence-to watch her intelligent countenance-to listen to her melodious voice to see her gracefully bending over the sick-bed of age and infirmity, what happiness could equal it? but it was equalled, it was surpassed, by the cherished hope, which every day clung nearer to his soul, of calling the object of his adoration his own-of appropriating to himself all that loveliness and beauty which he could not gaze at without emotion.

The gradual approach of death was softened to the patient suffererer by a freedom from pain -exhausted nature seemed to slumber on in a torpid state, yet the mental faculties were as yet unimpaired; but the rapid change which a few days effected, left the medical attendants of Lady Jane hopeless of her restoration, and they frankly declared their opinion that she could not live many days. She herself seemed aware of her danger; and, exerting all her strength, she endeavoured to console the affliction of her two young friends" My only regret at leaving the world,” cried she, tenderly taking a hand of each, "is that I leave you before the consummation of an union which I had flattered myself with beholding. Oh! Miss Mountstewart, will you

not give peace to my last moments? will you not suffer me to give this hand to my son, and seal his felicity?"

Sir Charles flung himself on his knees before the agitated Constance, but he spoke not; while she covered her face with a handkerchief, and burst into tears.

Sir Charles took the two hands, which were folded in each other; he pressed them to his lips by turns; he looked at Lady Jane, then at Constance-a silence of many minutes ensued.

"Oh! Sir Charles," cried Constance, at length breaking silence, "have pity on me-be generous-urge not a suit to me at this moment, which, terribly awful, leaves me scarcely a power of resisting. Lady Jane, dear Lady Jane, ask me not to dispose of myself in a moment like this, when I am incompetent to think or reflect -Oh! be satisfied, that if I had the power of obliging you, I would not fail to exert it."

"Constance, Miss Mountstewart, dear, dearest Constance," said Sir Charles, "in almost any thing, I would, I will obey you. If the purest love, the most perfect esteem-if the most ardent affection, can make you happy, these you shall ever find with me: it shall be the study of my life to render you blessed; then do not consign me to despair."

Constance sobbed aloud.

Sir Charles paused a moment; and then continued" I will not distress you-I require no promise-I will wait your own time."

"Miss Mountstewart," said Lady Jane, in a tone of solemnity, rising from her recumbent.