“Have done with your texts, Ronald,” interrupted La Tour; “you Scots are forever preaching, when you ought to practice; your duty is to hear and obey, and I require nothing more of you.”

So saying, he turned away, leaving the guard to the solitary indulgence of his thoughts, which the amusements of that evening had disturbed, in no ordinary degree.

Mad. de la Tour, had condescended to entertain the bride and bridegroom at her own house; and permitted such of their companions as were inclined, to join them on the festive occasion.  These were sufficient to form a cheerful group; apart from them, Mad. la Tour was conversing with De Valette, and a lovely girl, who seemed an object of peculiar interest to him, when La Tour entered the room with Mr. Stanhope.

“I bring you a friend, to whose services we are much indebted,” said La Tour to his lady; “and I must request your assistance, in endeavoring to render this dreary place agreeable to him.”

“I shall feel inclined to do all in my power, from selfish motives,” returned the lady, “independently of our personal obligations to Mr. Stanhope; and, I trust, it is unnecessary to assure him, that we shall be most happy to retain him as our guest, so long as his inclination will permit him to remain.”

Stanhope returned a polite answer to these civilities; but his thoughts were abstracted, and his eyes continually turned towards the young lady, whose blushing face was animated by an arch smile of peculiar meaning.  La Tour observed the slight confusion of both, but, attributing it to another cause, he said,

“Allow me, Mr. Stanhope, to present you to my fair ward, Mademoiselle de Courcy, whom, I perceive, you have already identified with the priest, and page, who acted so conspicuous a part this evening.”

“My acquaintance with Mr. Stanhope is of a much longer date,” she said, quickly, and rising to offer him her hand, with an air of frankness, which, however, could not disguise a certain consciousness, which sent the tell-tale blood to her cheeks.

“It has been far too long,” said Stanhope, his countenance glowing with delight, “to suffer me to be deceived by a slight disguise, though nothing could be more unexpected to me, than the happiness of meeting with you here.”

“My aunt looks very inquisitive,” said the young lady, withdrawing her hand; and, turning to Mad. de la Tour, she continued, “I have been so fortunate as to recognize an old friend in Mr. Stanhope; one, with whose family my aunt Rossville was on terms of the strictest intimacy, during our short residence in England.”

“My sister’s friends are doubly welcome to me,” said Mad. la Tour; “and I shall esteem the arrival of Mr. Stanhope particularly fortunate to us.”

“It is singular, indeed, that you should meet so very unexpectedly, in this obscure corner of the earth!” said De Valette, endeavouring to speak with gaiety, though he had remarked their mutual embarrassment with secret uneasiness;—­“how can you account for it, Lucie?”