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Why Alice Graham has been this year past engaged to be married !"

“What?” said George, quickly. Mrs. Shenstone repeated what she had said.

: George was silent. Mrs. Shenstone looked up. George was leaning back in an arm-chair, his eyes fixed upon the fire.

"Well, but you do not seem surprised! You have not got the greens to-day, my dear boy, have you?" "Who is she engaged to?" said he at length, without regarding his mother's question.

"To Mr. Ashmont, Sir John Ashmont's youngest son, who has nothing, and is gone to India to try and bring back an income; which he will not do, I will venture to say. It is a wretched match for her. Ah, what a wife she would have been for you, George! What a pity that you did not marry her!"

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Marry her!" said George. "I marry her! Mother; she could never be induced to marry such a

one as me."

"Such as you, indeed!-and why not? You are the best match in the county, and though I say it that should not, the best young man too, and she will be a lucky woman who marries you."

"Mother, I never can marry. Do not speak of it. Once the idea crossed my mind, that if Alice could be brought to accept me as a husband, Heaven itself could hardly have greater charms for me than this world with her-but, it never could be, never!"

George was much affected, and struggled hard to conceal his emotion. Mrs. Shenstone, who thought it was all nonsense, and that her son was a vast deal too modest, said so two or three times ; effort of her's could induce George to resume the conversation, and they soon after separated for the morning.

but no

It was some days after this passed, before Alice saw George again. Pleading business in London, he was absent from his residence for a week or ten days. At the end of that period he returned to the country, and the usual intercourse with the Graham family was renewed. His melancholy was still undiminished, and a nice observer might, perhaps, perceive that it had become yet a shade deeper. But Alice was still bent upon endeavouring to lighten his burthen, by becoming the depositary of his sorrows. She pitied and admired him so much, that she was loth to leave any stone unturned to render him, if possible, a happier mortal than he appeared to be. But the question was, how to induce him to disclose his secret. She could scarcely with propriety make such a suggestion, without a direct encouragement from him to do so.

In early life George Shenstone had been a great traveller. It was understood that America had been the scene of his wanderings during the greater part of his absence from home. Alice often endeavoured to induce him to give her an account of his sojourn in a country of which there is much that is curious and interesting to be known, but he evinced an unsur

mountable dislike to the topic, and whenever a desire was intimated to hear from him the particulars of his travels, he generally contrived to turn the conversation, and never yet had satisfied the curiosity either of his mother or friends upon the subject. His distaste was so marked, that Alice began to suspect his melancholy was connected with some event which had occurred during his residence in those countries, and she determined to endeavour, through that channel, to arrive at the object she was in search of. An opportunity soon occurred..

Alice was in the habit of taking daily rides, more for her health than her pleasure, for she had no inclination for this mode of passing her time; and, as generally speaking, her ride was solitary, this dislike is hardly to be wondered at. Sometimes, however, she was joined by George Shenstone, and on those occasions, it is probable that the ride was not so entirely a source of unmitigated ennui.

One day she had set out for a long expedition to a neighbouring town, when she was overtaken on her road by George, who, saying he was on his way to the same place, for the purpose of attending the Quarter Sessions, begged permission to accompany her. Now was the time, thought Alice, to gain his confidence. A ride of seven or eight miles; the certainty of a tête-à-tête, and a fine day, which last advantage by the bye, was no small one, for it gave the facility of riding slowly-to persons engaged in interesting

converse, a sine qua non. Such favorable circumstances combining were not to be thrown away.

Their way lay through a heathy country, wild and studded here and there with a few trees. "This conn

try puts me a little in mind of North America," said George," though it is yet far less desolate than the part of it which I have visited."

This was the first time he had ever mentioned that region of the world, where he had passed the earliest years of his manhood.

"I am glad,” said Alice, "to hear you mention a country of which I have often longed to hear more. You are one of the few people who have visited the North-West Coast of America, and yet, though I have known you, I may say, almost intimately for eight or nine months, I have never yet been able to persuade you to communicate some of the knowledge you must have gained in that country. Now you have yourself started the subject, I am determined I will not let you off. Now do, Mr. Shenstone," said she, smiling as she spoke, "tell me a little of your history during the time you passed in those remote regions. I am sure you must have numerous interesting and curious \\*ticulars to relate."

George's cheek was pale as he listened to this appeal. He spoke with effort when he replied: "There is so much that is painful in my history, Miss Graham, that I should be sorry to inflict any part of it on you, from whom I have never experienced aught but kindness."

"Far be it from me, Mr. Shenstone," answered Alice, "to pry into your secrets, or to wish to draw from you any thing you may be desirous of concealing; but surely, without indiscretion, may I not ask you to tell me something of the country you have visited, and the people who inhabit it; for I am right, am I not, when I say it is a part of the world little known, and still less described ?"

George was still silent.

Alice resumed with great gentleness, and more seriousness of manner.

"And may I yet say one thing more? might it not be some satisfaction to you to speak on matters which, you must allow me to say so, for I have long seen that it is so, hang heavily upon your mind and spirits? Why not permit a friend to share the burthen with you, instead of locking up in your own breast alone that which I am convinced it would afford you relief to disclose? I am aware that I have little, no right, to press you upon such a subject; but warm interestan ever recurring regret for the depression you habitually labour under-must plead my excuse for so uncalled-for an intrusion."

"Miss Graham," answered George, unheeding the latter part of her address, "I have no friend upon whom I should consider myself justified in inflicting my own history. I left England before I had had time to make a friend; and then, indeed, who would have been my friend! Oh, Miss Graham! you little know the wretch I was then! the wretch I have been since!