just reward. You have often noticed Stephano's extreme likeness to me. One day that the servant had the child in the Park, a gentleman seemed struck. with his beauty, and enquired the name of his parents. He is Mrs. Dudley's son, sir' (was the reply of his maid). Dudley? (repeated he), but it cannot be, and yet I never saw, so strong a likeness. Tell me, does

he resemble his mother?

The wo

man's answer in the affirmative, ap, peared to agitate him very much, and he enquired where I lived, which the servant made no difficulty in informing him of.

"This took place two days before that on which you left town, and the very morning of your departure, as I stood for a moment at the drawing room win: dow, I saw Mr. Pembroke on the opposite side of the street, he was walking slowly, and had his eyes fixed

upon most doubting the evidence of my sen

the window where I stood.. Al

ses, I threw up the sash; he saw me, and darting across, gained admittance to me in a moment.

"Ellen (exclaimed he), base, faithless, perjured woman! spite of the pains you have taken to avoid me, I have at last an opportunity to upbraid you with your perfidy.' your perfidy.' What more he would have added, was prevented by my falling senseless at his feet. When I recovered, an explanation took place, and I learned that we were the victims of a deep laid plot. Lord Robert had intercepted my letter, in which I stated to Percival the reasons why I had left my house. This letter his lordship destroyed, and substituted a forged one in its place; the contents of which astónished Percival; they were, that I was completely tired of the recluse life I led, and as there was no immediate prospect of changing it, without involving him in the most unpleasant circumstances, I had determined to ac

cept the offer of a man of immense for tune, and accompany him abroad.

"The hand was so good an imitation of mine, that Pembroke could scarcely doubt of its being my writing, and when he found that I had left my house, he execrated me as the most perfidious of beings. A paragraph that appeared in one of the morning papers, and was pointed out to him by his uncle, was, he thought, a confirmation of my supposed infidelity; it an-. nounced the departure of the Honourable Mr. Danvers, for America, and, mentioned, that he had prevailed upon. a young and lovely woman to accompany him as his chère amie. Pembroke suffered not less than myself from this plan that severed us, and he gladly accepted his uncle's invitation to accompany him to Spain; where, in two years, Lord Robert died. Percival had been some months in England, and he had diligently sought me at every place

6

of public amusement, but in vain, when at the moment that he least expected it, chance brought about our meeting.

"This explanation overwhelmed me with unhappiness; and bitterly did I now regret the moment in which I had accepted your proposals, to deprive Pembroke of his child, was not to be thought of; for myself, my future plan is fixed in the most humble retirement; and equally distant from the man whom I loved, and him whom I had injured, I purpose to wear out my fu ture days; for every sentiment of pride and delicacy, forbade my listening to Percival's generous offer to forget the past.

"And now, my lord, farewel for ever, Heaven only knows how deeply I regret the pain, which I am sensible this discovery will cause you; may you in a more pure and fortunate connection, lose those bitter reflections, which my duplicity will occasion you. Be

lieve me, that to know you had recovered that peace which I can never again hope to taste, would be a cordial to the heart of

"ELLEN DUDLEY."

The perusal of this letter, nearly unsettled the reason of the wretched Montalva; driven almost to frenzy, by remorse and despair, the affection which he felt for the little Stephano was the sole sweetener of his existence; from his supposed child must be derived the only comfort that he could promise himself in this world, and to the next the guilty and unhappy man dared not look. At one moment, he was inclined to suppose that Stephano was indeed his son, and that Ellen deprived him of the child, merely to conciliate the favour of her former lover; the next instant he recollected the circum-. stances of the birth of the child, Ellen's lowness of spirits, and the solemn manner in which she had implored him to