spring from the villainy and unexampled treachery of this worthless man. Your son has escaped from his hands in time, and my business is to quit you instantly in search of a person by whose agency I trust we shall gain a victory. Until to-morrow, therefore, I bid you farewell."

Sir Andrew grasped his son's hand, in thankful gratitude; and on Louis's departure, he was quitting the parlour for his study, when his eyes caught Charles's figure. "Ah! Charles, you have been a sad boy! Inever calculated upon such a misfortune as this visiting our house."

Charles recovered himself from a gloomy fit of desperation, wherein he had fancied a thousand wild methods of taking revenge on Clanmer, and answered his father's reproaches rather sternnly. "Do not conjure up any unnecessary words: believe me I feel enough; and if the theme is pursued further, Heaven knows what may happen!"

The father and son separated; the one to his study, and the other to enjoy a contemplative walk. His thoughts

we shall not venture to describe.

Sir Andrew sat down to re-peruse a letter received by him that morning from Mrs. Manners, who had undertaken the care of his concerns at Dorrington. Its terms were precise and plain, consisting of the following brief description of what was passing in the country:

"Dear Sir Andrew,

"I have to inform you that your presence here is at length become a matter of urgent necessity. Your tenants are complaining of the evils which your absence cause, and which are too justly founded to admit of doubt. I fear that your predictions have done some serious mischief amongst these simple and uninformed people, who now complain of you as the origin of their mishaps. I do not seek to palliate the evil,

as truth is paramount to all other considerations, and I should deem myself as deserting its path, were I to conceal the slightest particle of my opinion. Therefore hasten your journey as speedily as possible, for with your eyes you may soon gather a confirmation of my state

ment.

"ELIZABETH MANNERS."

"God forgive me!" exclaimed Sir Andrew, as he folded up the letter. "Surely an accumulation of so much evil is enough to plague a saint! Something must be wrong in my calculations! I must examine the signs,-Virgo being eighteen degrees and thirty-two minutes on the cusp of the ascendant, forewarns danger to our person-this is just and correct, as it should be: but then the infortune is thrown back, which cannot agree. Mars in conjuction-the triplicities being formed-argues a release from evil that impends. The moon's

difference must be substracted from 21° of the equatorial sign-."

Sir Andrew got confused; he rose from his chair in a passion. "If the dæmons of Pandamonium have gained a holiday, they have surely come to enjoy it at my expense. But this letter—must be answered: well, I'll do it either tomorrow or next day.'

Pursuant to his resolution, he waited until two days were passed, and having fixed the time with the consent of Julia and Maria, he dispatched an answer to Mrs. Manners, to inform her of his intended return, couched in the strains of disappointment and vexation :

"Good Mrs. Manners,

"I received your letter at the moment I was casting a figure on my geomantic table, which informed me very consistently that something in the shape of paper was to torment me. So it has proved your letter has preceded

another piece of ill-luck, which, however, may not be such, if my good and only friend, Colonel Archer, can be re·lied on. He is a noble-hearted gentleman, and deserves my strongest friendship; but I'll inform you more of him as well as my graceless son when I arrive at Dorrington, where I hope to be on Thursday next. I am sick of London! I am heartily glad to escape from it, and so are the girls. My personal health has been good, excepting a slight catarrah, of which I was forewarned by the opposition of Mars to the ascendant, and trine to Saturn, lord of the sixth house, depressed and weakened.

"ANDREW SAGITTARIUS."

"P. S.-If the villagers grumble, give them money to stop their foolish tongues: and if they need my advice they must wait. A. S."