without accomplishing my end. I was still the obscure denizen of our family estates,-totally eclipsed by the poets, statesmen, and warriors of the day. I was in despair. At certain moments of profound despondency, suicide presented itself as my sole refuge from my bitter consciousness of insignificance. The purport of my life seemed frustrated. To what end an existence so obscure, so colourless as mine?

'I was alone in my family.-My elder brothers were already distinguished in the world. My only confidant at home was an old negro, attached from time immemorial to the house of C. I say from time immemorial, adv sedly; for so little was recollected of his first connexion with the family, that many people pretended he had been originally seen in this chateau at the moment of the decease of Field-marshal Fabert.'

I could not altogether repress a start of surprise at this announcement. My companion inquired what was the matter; but it was not for me to refer to the singular intelligence I had received the preceding evening from my friends the cuirassiers.

'One day,' resumed he, 'when more than usually overpowered by the dispiriting sense of my own nothingness, I exclaimed aloud, 'I would sacrifice ten years of my life to accomplish a first rate literary reputation!'

"Ten years is a large amount to pay for such a trifle!' observed lago, who happened to be in attendance upon me,-smiling as he spoke, till his two glaring rows of white teeth became frightfully apparent.

"Large, but not more than it is worth,' I persisted. 'I say again, that I would thankfully give ten years to become a popular author.'

"Done!' replied the negro, with his wonted sang froid-(tor he was the coolest fellow I ever beheld.) I accept your ten years. In return, know that your wish is already half accomplish

You may conjecture my astonishment at hearing him propose this singular engagement. But conceive my surprise when, a few days afterwards, I learned by the post, that a work of mine transmitted to Paris the preceding year for publication, had actually been crowned by the Academy! My pledge was scarcely given, and I was already a person of note!

I flew to the capital,-and was received on all sides with open arms. The most distinguished men of the day were proud to make my acquaintance. Their praises, their examples, their counsels, encouraged my enthusiasm, as well as perfected my taste. Every successive work that emanated from ny pen, was pronounced to be a chef d'œuvre. I had assumed a supposititious name, in oder to distinguish myself from my brothers; and scarcely a newspaper in which it was not twenty times repeated! My works were translated into every European language. My books were in every hand. It was only yesterday, sir, that you yourself-but no mat

ter.'

My feelings were, by this time, painfully excited. Into whose presence had I thus singularly intruded? Who was this mysterious stranger?

Was it Diderot?-Marmontel?-D'Alembert'Voltaire? I began to regard my companion with a degree of respect, exceeding even my previous compassion.

'To a spirit so ardently constituted as mine,' resumed he, after a heavy sigh, 'even this excess of literary honor soon became insufficient for happiness. I said to myself after all,—what is there either manly, what is there ennobling in all this waste of pens and ink! The occupations of the demigods, ere earth was peopled with mere mortals, was conquest. Military renown is the only glory worth achieving. To be a great general, to become the leader of an army, were well worth the sacrifice of ten years of one's existence.'

"You continue to bid high,' cried lago, who was still in my service. 'But once more I accept your terms. Ten years and you shall become a hero!'

My countenance, I conclude, now began to evince tokens of incredulity; for the stranger suddenly exclaimed, 'You do not believe me?Would that I too could be incredulous! For I swear to you by all that is holiest in the universe, from the moment when, on the faith of this mysterious compact, I entered the army, I had only to plan expeditions, to have them crowned with success beyond my most sanguine expectations. History is at hand to confirm my asseverations. My name was again an assumed one; but there was no illusion in the provinces it was my fate to attach to the sovereignty of France;-in the fortresses which ceded to my besiegement.-in the redoubts which I carried,-in the banners which I brought back to the feet of my king — These, at least, were real; and these sull survive to attest all I have been!'

The stranger was now pacing the room with impetuous footsteps; and as I contemplated his movements, I could not forbear exclaiming to myself. 'Who on earth have I before me? Is it Coigny ?-is it Richelieu ?-or can it be Marshal Saxe in propria persona?'

After striding backwards and forwards in silence for some moments, he suddenly threw himself anew into the seat by my side.

'Iago assured me, during the intoxication of my military triumphs,' he resumed, 'that I should soon become disgusted with the fickle breath of popular applause. Sooner or later, pleaded the negro, 'you will begin to understand that nothing is really important that has not a real value. The positive, the tangible, is the one thing needful.' And he was so far justified in his prognostications, that I actually made him a tender et five additional years, on condition of obtaining the command over enormous riches.'

And he fulfilled his part of the compact!' cried I, with a scarcely repressed smile of incredulity.

With gold,-jewels,-houses,—lands,―all, all that passes with mankind under the name of wealth, did he endow me,' cried my compan ion, clasping his hands with frantic emotion.Nay, when I rose this very morning, all these were still my own. I was rich,-I was great,— I was powerful! I said now to my soul, take

'This morning, when I opened my eyes,' he resumed, addressing me in a portentous whisper, 'I found myself so weak and dispirited, that I hastily summoned my valet de chambre to my assistance. Merciful Powers!-It was lago who appeared in his place! My soul sunk within me as he accosted me.

'Yet his appearance, you say, was ever the precursor of triumph and good fortune,' said 1, desirous to tranquilize the agitation of the invalid.

'I asked him the cause of my sudden illness,' continued he, 'I told him that only last night I retired to rest in perfect health!'

"It is not sickness,—it is death!' replied the negro, with his usual frightful grin, 'Surely you are prepared?'

"For death ?-at мy age?' cried I, gasping for breath.

"It is not my fault if you have been too much absorbed in your personal vanities to take heed of the lapse of time,' replied the negro, with a bitter sneer. 'Providence accorded you, as the term of your natural life, exactly threescore years.You were thirty when we first entered into our engagements.'

lago,' cried I, anticipating the horrible announcement that was to follow.

"And during the five ensuing years,' he continued, with his usual facetious insolence, 'you expended in speculations an extra allowance of five and twenty. You have consequently lived out your sixty years. You will find me tolerably correct in my arithmetic; for know, that every moment subtracted from your life, is added to my own; and I, at least, recognise the value of human existence!'

"Such, then, was the motive of your pretended zeal!' cried I with indignation.

"Greater men than yourself have shown themselves more grateful,' coolly rejoined the negro: 'Fabert, for instance, who was one of my proteges, paid me a somewhat higher price for his reputation.'

"Iniquitous monster!' cried I, You have deceived me,-defrauded me.'

"Nay, nay, you have only cheated yourself!' replied lago. 'Count upon your fingers, and you will find me exact in my balance. Thirty-five years of real existence, and twenty-five expended in procuring the means of distinction ;-total of the whole, sixty! Admit that you have lived your day. Prepare for immediate dissolution.'

'He was about to leave the room, when I rushed towards him, and clung to his garments. "Only one more day!' cried I; 'only, only

one !

"Not half a one,' he coolly replied. Reflect, that I am the loser of every minute's grace you obtain! Your time is over.'

Be

"So saying, he left me!' continued the stranger, wildly. He left me-and when we meet again, I must resign myself to death-must cease to enjoy the breath of spring-the harmenies of nature-the joys of life and love! hold;' he continued, dragging me to the window, and pointing to a group of ragged peasants traversing the parks-to-morrow, yonder people will be inhaling the pure breezes-will be sunned under the glowing orb of Heaven-while, for me, all will be at an end! And to have sacrificed five and twenty years of such blessing -for the vain acquirement of an uncertain renown; to be praised by those I know not, those whom I care not to know! Oh! what a price have I paid for that which is in itself valueless! What prodigality!—what waste! But why lose the few moments allo'ted me in idle murmurs! Let me rather enjoy, for the last time, the glorious spectacle of triumphant nature!'

So saying, he threw open the windows opening towards the park, and rushing forth, took his way towards the plantations. While watching his precipitate departure, I found myself touched upon the shoulder; and, on turning round, found a grave middle-aged man, wearing the insignia of the St. Esprit, standing beside me. had no difficulty in recognising the Duc de C.

I

'I have a thousand apologies to offer you, Monsieur le Chevalier,' said he, 'tor the inadvertence of my servants in leaving you exposed to an interview with my unfortunate brother; whose mental infirmities are the cause of his seclusion in this retired chateau, and of my annual visit to the place. It was to consult a physician, celebrated for his skilful treatment of lunatics, who is on a visit in the neighborhood, that I last night absented myself from home. I have now, however, the satisfaction of bidding you welcome; and to-morrow we will take our departure for Versailles. All that my friendship or recommendations can ensure, to wards forwarding your advancement in life, depend upon!The enthusiastic ambition of military distinction expressed in the letters I have had the pleasure of receiving from you, excites my earnest inter

est in your behalf. To such views the times are highly favorable. Rapid advancement awaits you. In the course of ten years, or su

'Ten years, Monsieur le Duc?' was my involuntary ejaculation: 'ten years subtracted from the sum total of life! Pardon me!-Within these walls I have received a lesson more valuable than even the patronage you thus generously promise. To-morrow, instead of proceeding to Versailles, I retrace my steps homewards! Accept my grateful thanks-my humble apologies. Fame has lost its charm in my estimation; since I have learned to recognise the value of human life, and the costs of ambition!'

'This is my brother's doing!' cried the Duke, but more in sorrow than in anger. The sin. gular delusions of his monomania have already more than once sufficed to deter young aspirants of my acquaintance from embracing a public career. But is it possible that you will allow the hallucinations of a lunatic to influence you in a stop so momentous?'

'Wisdom is a thing of too precious a quality, Monsieur le Duc,' replied 1, 'to admit of our being over-fastidious in examining its origin.All we have to do is, to accept such lessons, and be thankful.'

The Duc de C. was perhaps not sorry to be thus easily rid of one of the numerous candidates for his interest at court: for, after a night's hospitality, he suffered me to return home without further remonstrance.

Happy journey-auspicious return! I felt that I could not travel too rapidly; for I was returning to the bosom of my family-the arms of Hen

rietta.

The following May, I had nothing to dread from the apparition of the black man. Already I was a contented country gentleman; a happy husband and father! The price of fame had inspired me with a due appreciation of the value of human life,

Of Edenhall, the youthful Lord
Bids sound the festal trumpet's call ;
He rises at the banquet board,

And cries 'mid the drunken revellers all, "Now bring me the Luck of Edenhall!"

The butler hears the words with pain,
The house's oldest Seneschal,
Takes slow from its silken cloth again
The drinking glass of crystal tall,
They call it The Luck of Edenhall,

Then said the Lord; "This glass to praise,
Fill with red wine from Portugal!
The gray-beard with trembling hand obeys;
A purple light shines over all,

It beams from the Luck of Edenhall.

Then speaks the Lord, and waves it light,
"This glass of flashing crystal tall
Gave to my sires the Fountain-Sprite;
She wrote in it; If this glass doth fall
Farewell then, O Luck of Edenhall!
"'Twas right a goblet the Fate should be
Of the joyous race of Edenhall!
We drink deep draughts right willingly;
And willingly ring, with merry call,
Kling! klang! to the Luck of Edenhall!"

First rings it deep, and full, and mild,
Like to the song of a nightingale ;
'I hen like the roar of a torrent wild ;-

Then mutters at last like the thunder's fall, The glorious Luck of Edenhall.

"For its keeper takes a race of might,

The fragile goblet of crystal tall;

It has lasted longer than is right;

Kling! klang!-with a harder blow than all Will I try the Luck of Edenhall!”

As the goblet ringing flies apart,
Suddenly cracks the vaulted hall;
And through the rift, the flames upstart;
The guests in dust are scattered all
With the breaking Luck of Edenhall!

In storms the foe, with fire and sword;
He in the night had scaled the wall,
Slain by the sword lies the youthful Lord,
But holds in his hand the crystal tall
The shattered Luck of Edenhall.

On the morrow the butler gropes alone,
The gray-beard in the desert hall,
He seeks his Lord's burnt skeleton,
He seeks in the dismal ruin's fall.

The shards of the Luck of Edenhall!

"The stone wall," saith he, "doth fall aside,
Down must the stately columns fall
Glass is this earth's Luck and Pride;
In atoms shall fall this earthly ball
One day like the Luck of Edenhall!"

TO SHORE.

Up to this point-namely, the departure of the Honduras packet with sixty-five emigrants on board, McGregor had conducted the affair with such consummate ingenuity, that even the suspicions of George had been lulled; but when on dining with His Highness immediately afterwards, he saw the oath of allegiance administered to the officers about to embark in the next vessel, and noticed the peculiar chuckle of McGregor, who had on that occasion taken too much wine, he began to entertain strong doubts on the subject of His Highnesses motives being honorable; still, in the absence of proof, he went on hoping that all his suspicions were baseless, and acting upon his original conviction of the noble character of the object proposed.

While George was thus zealously engaged, and just before the Kennersly Castle-the vessel appointed to follow the Honduras packet-was ready to sail, he was visited by Weesense, who, having conceived a plan for removing the only objection to Mosquitia that had been started by persons wishing to emigrate, was anxious to communicate the nature of that plan with the view of securing the patronage of the Prince.

'I have a scheme, Mr. Julian,' said he, on opening the subject, 'an extraordinary scheme, sir, a scheme which will render the Mosquitoshore, sir, a paradise.'

'Indeed!' exclaimed George; 1 know, of

1

course, that you are an extremely clever person, but I should scarcely have imagined it possi

ble!'

'I'll prove that it is, sir; I'll prove it to demonstration; and if, when 1 prove it, you will only do me the favor to introduce me to His Highness the Prince, I'll stake my reputation that I'll make your fortune as well as my own in six months!'

'Well, if that be the case, I shall certainly ap. preciate its value.'

'You will, sir; I am perfectly sure that you will. I only thought of it this morning do you know, while in bed! It's extraordinary how these things, sir, will strike a man. They are like poetic images, they'll only come just when they please: you can't force them and try all you know; or like friends, farthest off when most wanted.'

'You cannot, at all events, in this case complain.'

"That is the thing, sir-the very thing which makes it so fortunate!-the fact of its recurring to me just in the nick of time, is what I look at; and the moment it struck me, I leapt out of bed and drew up the prospectus right off.'

What is it then to be a rival company?'cried George, looking as if the idea had alarmed him.

'No, no, no, no; by no manner of means; I propose to act in concert; to forward your plans, to promote your views: it will be any thing but a rival company.'

"Well, that indeed alters the case; but what do you mean to call it?'

"Why, I'll tell yon, sir, what I mean to call it. You are aware, sir, that the Mosquito-shore, or Mosquitia, derived its name from the swarms of mosquitoes which sometimes pretty well darken the air, and which bite with remarkable severity. Very well. Now I've looked into natural history, and I there find that this sort of thing is extremely unpleasant, for the creatures when they dig their forks into you leave a sort of poison behind, which induces a species of itching so peculiar, that you are halfinclined to scratch the very flesh off your bones. Very well. Now, impressed with the conviction, sir, that if these fellows were effectually served out, that is to say, if they were utterly exterminated from the face of society, it would be of great national importance, I have invented an elixir, which, in honor of the Prince, I mean to call the Gregorian Specific, composed chiefly of asafoetida and gin, which will make the whole swarm so blind drunk, that they will instantly set to and fight among themselves, and continue to fight till they drop. Very well. Now, in order to bring this, you know, into full operation, I propose to establish a company, to be called The Imperial Poyaisian Association for the Total Intoxication of Mosquitoes, Capital twenty thousand pounds, in two hundred shares of one hundred pounds each; and according to my calculation the thing will yield about fifteen thousand a year, out of which I should say it would be as well to stipuJate for an annuity of five thousand pounds for the use of the patent.'

'Yes; that of course would be as well; and the shareholders would be indeed unreasonable to complain. But suppose there are no mosquitoes in Poyais at all?'

'Oh, but there are swarms you know.'

'I understand not; but if even there be, how do you mean to get them to drink this elixir ?'

"Oh, the smell is enough, sir; they don't want to drink; you have only to impregnate the air with the scent. I have tried it on flies, and the effect is very potent, and so instantaneous, that the moment they sniff it they cut away and shake their heads and buzz, and pitch into each other, and feel so indignant!-it is really very amusing, it is, indeed.'

"Oh! I shouldn't be surprised; but it occurs to me, that if its effects be so fatal to them, its value will be very inconsiderable to you; in other words, if, as you have explained, by impregnating the air you can get them into such a beastly state of intoxication that they will set to work and fight until all are destroyed, it is clear that after that there will be none to destroy, in which case your annuity will not be worth much.'

'Ah!' said Peter, biting his nails, 'I see; I didn't think of that. But it is a specific "'

"That, of course, I don't mean to dispute; but I fear you are not au fait to the object proposed by the inventors of specifics in general; I am inclined to believe that you are not aware of that object being to introduce artificial wants in order that they may eventually appear to be real. It would never do for them to effect cures; No: their aim is to intoxicate their patients, and thereby to lull the disease for a time in order that it

may gain greater strength: and when this can be constantly done by specifics, specifics of course are in constant demand. Now, if you, by the application of your specific could so intoxicate mosquitoes as to make them seem dead for a time, that when people began to marvel at its efficacy, they might rise again and sting them with increased vigor, it would be of great value as far as you are concerned, because the more they consumed, the more of course they would require; but depend upon it, Peter, he who either kills or cures off hand, will never grow rich by inventing specifics.'

'I see, I see,' observed Peter, who appeared to have been enlightened. It is'nt a bad move at all, and it strikes me that if the elixir were weakened a little, you know, it might have that effect.'

'So it might; but in Poyais McGregor tells me there are no mosquitoes.'

'Well, certainly he ought to know. If there are none, of course the thing falls to the ground, but if there had been the swarms 1 have heard that there are, why it strikes me I just could have given them physic.'

"Take my advice, Peter; satisfy yourself on the point-go out to Poyais.' 'I go to Poyais?'

'Why should you not go? You are doing no good for yourself here; and I need not explain to you, Peter, that your associates are not of the most reputable caste. Be a man, and go out; I'll get you a good berth. It may enable you to realize an honorable fortune; and if it should not, it can do yon no harm.'

'Well, but really it never occurred to me; I never even dreamt of such a thing; but now, really now, would you recommend me to go?' 'I most certainly should.'

'Well; but leave-Well that would be a start!' 'Have you any very powerful attraction here, Peter?'

Oh! I've no attraction at all! But I say, though, what sort of swells are the natives? eh?-they're not cannibals, are they?'

"They are as harmless as you are, Peter.'

'Because, you know, if they're all fighting swells-not that I can't fight, you know, but one don't always like, you know, to be in hot water.'

'I understand. But you'll find them all very pleasant people.'

'Well, now really I think I should like to go, do you know. But then what an idea!-what would they all say?'

'Why all whom you allude to would say you were a fool, merely because they could no longer make a fool of you.'

'That's true, Mr. Julian; they don't treat me well. I am sure I do all in my power to serve them; and what do I get for it? Nothing. I'll go! But then, where's all the money to come from?"

'You'll require but little. How much have you got?'

"Three shillings and all told, believe me.' 'I don't allude, merely allude to what you have in your purse.