Jenny," in quick tone she demanded, ❝ have you succeeded? have you got what I wanted?"

"The most extraordinary thing in the world, my lady!" answered Jenny, with a pert freedom, to which she conceived her late embassy entitled her; " but I'm all over in such a flustration, that I have not breath to say a syllable of the matter.”

"What is the cause of this alarm?" exclaimed Mrs. Blandford; "

you have not, I see, procured me the money."

66

Oh, no, madam; the money was not to be got on such things! But I'm so frightened-feel how my heart beats! and no wonder, your ladyship's valuable jewels"

"I hope you have not lost them?" interrupted Mrs. Blandford, partaking now in turn of Jenny's affright.

are-if

"No, here they are if any great loss they'd be," answered Jenny, gruffly, who felt hurt at her lady's want of commisera

tion for the hurry she had put herself into on her errand. "I have 'em all just as you gave me; but"

"But what?" cried Geraldine, impatiently. "If money cannot be raised on them in one place, I suppose it will not be the case in another."

"I am much afraid, madam, begging your pardon, it will."

66

Why, what is the objection, Jenny?" "You'll be surprised, my lady, as I was to be sure myself; but the truth must come out-there's no disguising the mat

ter."

"What have you to say? I abhor disguise speak out at once then, and be explicit."

of

66

Why, then, the truth is, my lady, there's not a single diamond in the setting your cross: every spark is paste, and it's worth nothing more than the bit of gold they are set in."

"Impossible!" exclaimed Mrs. Blandford, taking the cross and other articles out

of

of Jenny's hand; " you must have applied to some person who was no judge of their value."

"I did not stop at applying to many, and that delayed me so long-yet 'twas all the same everywhere."

"You must, however, make another trial with my remaining jewels," said Mrs. Blandford;" and be expeditious, Jenny, I entreat you. If these," she observed, as she presented the other diamonds to her negociator, "should be objected to, you have only to take them to monsieur Escarboucle, the great lapidary, in rue de St.

and he will ascertain their value." Again Jenny disappeared on this second commission; while Mrs. Blandford, unwilling to be surprised by visitors in her present perturbed state of mind, retired to her chamber in great agitation.

Those whose free independent spirit the rude clamour of a creditor has never disturbed, can scarce form an idea of what our heroine now suffered: every knock on

the

the door gave a fresh alarm to her trembling heart, and in every approaching person she dreaded to behold Mrs. Oldenrig, rendered formidable by the new claims she possessed upon her.

In addition to this terror, the apprehension that she should not succeed in raising money, and thereby be compelled to break her word, assailed her sensitive mind with such force as to urge it to some degree of frenzy. Let then all those whose energy of feelings, and quick susceptibility to insult or dishonour, render the demands of a creditor vexatious and oppressive, guard carefully against gambling, one of whose fatal consequences is a total inability to discharge engagements that lead to despe

ration.

Hours passed away, to which mental agony gave doubly-protracted length, and Jenny returned not. Geraldine's distress and anxiety, as five o'clock approached, became intolerable. She now regretted

-her

her not having been in the morning quite candid with Plunket, who, better acquainted in matters of general business, would have been more successful in disposing of the jewels than Jenny, whose imperfect knowledge, even of the language of the country, rendered her liable to mistakes, and open to imposition. It was now however too late to send to seek him, and would soon become, as night advanced, too late with the trading people for any business transaction. Astonished even that Plunket, who appeared aware of the importunity she might suffer from Mrs. Oldenrig, did not again call in the course of the day, she felt irritated at this apparent neglect, and was ready to tax him with indifference to her distress, till she recollected that, in her general orders to be denied, this friend was not excepted.

In this distracted state of mind, and still in her morning undress, Mrs. Blandford was found by Blandford on his return

to