Together, they admired the wonderful objects which Italy presents to the view of the learned, the curious, the intelligent; and in uniting genius to genius, mind to mind, young in feeling, strong enough to be reconciled to fate, both forgot that they stood together in altered circumstances; they thought not of their future days, but lived for the present. Thus fleeted many months, and Cunnington returned to England an altered but improved man from that tour, -and the reader must now follow him to the House of Lords, on the occasion of his taking his seat.

The topic of the time was one of those exciting measures of reform which had metamorphosed every social board into a political arena, where the fair sex, impelled by various motives, but with all their characteristic enthusiasm, engaged themselves as partisans on either side.

The House of Lords was thronged; and ladies on this great occasion had sought admission, and were intermingled with the crowd below the bar. Perhaps never had this grave assembly presented so chequered But there were also present, some

a scene.

who came there from deeper motives than politics or ambition. There were hearts throbbing warmly towards our débutant, not only with those affections which instinctive nature has planted in us for those who first tended our helpless infancy, but also with those more exquisite sensations which the word love can best define,-while he, the sole object of their thoughts, was too preoccupied to bestow on them even a glance of recognition.

Silence reigned as Cunnington commenced

speaking whilst, with flushed cheeks and

:

brilliant eyes, the aspirant for fame spoke in such thrilling tones, that Alice Lemington could hardly restrain her tears.

When reverting to his hours of idleness, Cunnington said, "that now he felt how many precious hours he had mispent, but that a life of usefulness should yet be his, and that his country's welfare should be dearer to him than all other feelings. His course of politics was fixed; he was a moderate man; he neither wished to be a high Whig nor a high Tory; both were good in moderation—both bad when party feeling succeeded to national virtue. He thought the feuds of the Capulets and Montagus represented Whigs and Tories when both parties ran too high, when acknowledging the truth of a clause a Whig would not give his approbation to a Tory, or a Tory to a Whig. The most fervent wish he had was to forget self-dear to him was the dream of political fame, but he was prepared to earn it by mounting rugged steeps; he expected to toil for the fruit of the Hesperides; he had no charm by which he could soften

the Gorgons who guarded the garden's entry. He ardently wished for a name, but he cared not to earn it by eloquence or persuasion; dear would it be if traced in the hearts of his tenantry, and of all classes he might have it in his power to befriend. It was a glowing sense of delight to find himself within the walls of learning, fame, energy, and usefulhe would control the hasty judgment of youth, he would follow steadily the path tracked by the aged and more mature, and in so doing he obeyed the wish of a parent ever revered, one who had steadily performed his duty and won the respect and admiration of his brother lords."

ness;

Much more he said, for this sketch comprehends only a few of the remarks made by our hero; it seemed as if the words had not been prepared, but that feelings of young enthusiasm were lighting up his soul with a new fire.

At length Cunnington caught the lofty

expression of his mother's countenance; he saw Alice, half smiling, half weeping,—but he saw also the beautiful Baroness de Scala, queenly in her beauty, looking at him and gazing so fondly, so admiringly, that every moment it seemed as if the secret of her heart would rise to her lips.

The baroness wore a white watered silk dress, round which white roses were wreathed, and in the centre of each rose a diamond dew-drop rested. Her jetty hair was perfectly smooth on her forehead, and was classically arranged in plaits surmounting her head; giving brilliancy to eyes whose foreign, languid expression attracted universal admiration; those eyes were now riveted on Cunnington, and vainly Anna strove that the gaze should be one of indifference. Never had she seen the

young nobleman to such advantage. The climate of Jamaica did not agree with him--Alphonzo's death had distressed him— his own passions had weakened him; but