were those of succour ; I did what every man under such circumstances would have done, and I am branded with the infamy of his destroyer! My hard case I leave to the justice of my God, feeling fully assured that He will rise up a defender of the innocent, a pronouncer to shortsighted man that my penalty was unjust, and that which I must now bear as a foul crime upon my heart was its best endeavours to aid the unfortunate. Gentlemen, for your patience I thank you-I am resigned.'' "And has he left the country?" inquired Lady B. "He has been gone now three months, to some part of Australasia, but I know not whither." "You have guessed, dear Lady Briscoe : I am travelling to endeavour if, by being near him in his exile, I can relieve the horrors which must necessarily crowd upon his existence." "Noble Pauline !" exclaimed Lady Briscoe, "be assured Sir Benjamin shall know of this. Dear girl, let me haste to his apartment— not a moment shall be lost. Don't give way to despair: trust in a wise and good Providence; He will see justice done-rely on His mercy," said Lady Briscoe, kissing Pauline fervently. "There now, dear-I will fly to Sir Benjamin, and you run about among the flowers; and don't give way to despair-it's too monstrously unjust to stand the test of truth. There, now-adieu! run away among the flowers." Pauline did not run among the flowers, as the amiable Lady Briscoe would have had her: for though she felt herself much relieved, now that she had a sharer in her troubles, and one who would enlist so powerful a friend as Sir Benjamin in her cause, she yet sat quietly in the waterfall bower at the bottom of the garden, and mused upon her fate, and the fate of one she held still dearer, and wondered when and where she should see him, till she at length caught herself humming "Ah! whither fled now, dearest love? In what clime rovest thou? The hand of Him who rules above Shower blessings on thy brow! Beneath a bower of Indian trees Pauline lone sitteth now: Her prayers to Heaven load the breeze, "Well done, Lady Pauline!" said Lady Briscoe as she came skipping to the bower; "that was indeed a pretty ditty. But I have just seen Sir Benjamin, and he is in a pretty way about such a conviction! Why not move heaven and earth for a fresh trial?' says he. He remembers, a short time ago, reading an account of the whole transaction in the papers, with the editor's severe censures upon the unjust verdict. He will have some conversation with you about it after dinner; but he is now reading over again the evidence, &c. &c., and as there is a ship sails to-night for Australia, there will be a letter despatched by her from Sir Benjamin to the Governor of Sydney. Hope for the best, Pauly,-hope for the best! Come, now, for a romp among the flowers. Here are my little grandchildren.-Come, run to Miss Pauline. Now, little urchins, scamper about; but don't go near the waterfall, to get your little trotters wet. Come now, then, away! There's old Sambo Jack-tell him to gather some pretty flowers. There, away you run!" THE morning of the 13th of February came in blushing over the hills: the tide sung its matin roundelay o'er the pebbly beach-the shepherd was chaunting his early song to his now liberated fold, and the freshness of morning scattered forth his summons to the flowers, at whose approach they shook off the crystal tear of eve, and welcomed their god with incense and with smiles. Beautiful is an African morn-ay, beautiful as the eye can behold. Still, soft, and plaintively it steals upon us; delight is in every tree, and gladsomeness is the pervading soul of the landscape. At early dawn all are busy at Cape Town: the waggon winds its way from the interior to the market, laden with luscious fruits, and the trader, with his merchandise, is arranging to be busy. The market is all bustle, and lively sallies ring among the light-hearted inhabitants of that exhilarating clime. Down the long and acacia-fringed street, what numbers in their varied costume we behold! Amidst the crowd, a troop of elegantly-caparisoned steeds are being led by their grooms to the residence of Ah! as we thought, they are paraded opposite the house of Mr. Burchell. Our friends whom we met the other evening at that gentleman's are about to enjoy a pic-nic upon the summit of Table Mountain. Our horse is among the group, and "Away, away to the mountain's brow!" "Like to have been first, after all," jokingly said Mr. Burchell, as he rose to welcome us to the déjeuner à la fourchette. "Well, still in good time-it's a glorious time for starting!" "Now," said Mr. Blair, "let me ask, what is the order of the day?" "I believe," said Mr. Burchell, 66 we mount our nags, which it is quite time had arrived." 66 66 They are so, sir." "Well, in that case we are. Ladies, give the word-off!" "We are all ready, Mr. Burchell." "Now then, ladies and gentlemen, please to follow me." The whole party, consisting of no less than nine individuals, mounted their steeds, and set off at a pleasant canter for the base of the mountain. "I am delighted to have the happiness, Miss Blair," said a gentleman who was keeping a brisk trot by the side of that lady's Arab, as she cantered gaily along,—" I am delighted to have the happiness of such a day before me,-I had not the remotest idea that such joy was in store for me. I am too happy!-far too overjoyed with my friend Burchell's kindness in allowing me an opportunity of joining so delightful a party." "I hope, sir," answered Miss Blair, " that the trip will not be found too difficult. The ascent is reported as extremely dangerous, particularly on horseback." "I am quite unprepared to inform you, Miss Blair, as to its facility of ascent, when either on horseback or on foot, this being my first visit; but, I trust, as the day is so unusually favourable at this season, we shall have the happiness to reach the summit without either much fatigue or difficulty," said the stranger, who having been already introduced to Miss Blair, we will, with the reader's kind permission, introduce to them. Gentle reader, Mr. Clinton !—Mr. Clinton, gentle reader! "I am resolved, Mr. Clinton," said Miss Blair, "to ascend the mountain as far as it is at all consistent with safety on horseback, for I am no very great advocate for fatigue." "You are of the same school of philosophy as myself," remarked Mr. Clinton: "in so warm and lovely a clime as this, much physical exertion were unnecessary. We are, I perceive, arrived at our first stage. Will you, Miss Blair, allow me to assist you in descending ?" "Thank you, Mr. Clinton. We have enjoyed a most exhilarating ride." "I am truly gratified to hear you say so, Miss Blair; it affords me additional happiness." "I am sure, Mr. Clinton, you are very polite," gaily said Miss Blair. Mr. Clinton bowed very low. "Well, now," cried Mr. Burchell, "here we are so far-come, that is something towards it, and here we must quit our nags, unless some of us find courage to ride as far the top, which has been done, but it is far from a desirable undertaking. For my own part, I shall commence the tramping forthwith, and give my horse a holiday; but any thinking they dare venture a little further, why now's the time." This speech having by that gentleman been duly impressed upon his auditory, they all, with the exception of Miss Blair, agreed to abandon the steeds. The whole party now set forward with considerable vigour, and half an hour's march brought them upon the rough, rocky, unpleasant part of the ascent; and here it was, after a delay of some minutes, Miss Blair also dismounted. The party proceeded with what rapidity they might sometimes the route lay round a shelving mountain, or along the verge of a precipice, where there was not room for two animals to pass, and down whose fearful chasms it was impossible for some of the party to venture a look. "This is an extremely dangerous expedition," said Mr. Burchell, "unless we pay the strictest attention to the appearance of the weather. Numbers of travellers have, from their sole inattention to this one grand point (which any common-place inhabitant of the town can, from repeated observation, truly predict,) been dashed to atoms, from merely making one false step when enveloped in fog. Now yesterday was a day of this dangerous kind; and had any one started yesterday morning (and the weather to a stranger looked fine as to-day), the result would have been, they must have remained upon the mountain amidst the wild animals till this morning, or else risked their necks in the descent. For you see," continued he, one step in the fog would, in the place we have just passed, send a man a hundred fathoms into a gulf; and who |