to be sure, it is not very well behaved of me to my elders: I could not bear to hear them, and was so glad when Mr. Johnson,

the butler, who was in the room, answered them pretty smartly."

"Well, ladies," said he, 66 you may run down Miss Amelrosa, as much as you like, and say she is this, that, or t'other; but for my part, I never see a lovelier young lady in my life; and let her be base born, brought up on charity, or what you please, she speaks so sweet, and is so affable and has such a lady-like behavior and appearance, that she's more worthy to be the wife of a duke, or a prince, at least, than any thing else; and they'd be honored by their choice too, let me tell you."

"You are like all the rest of the men fellows, that are taken in by her cant," replied Smith, scornfully tossing her head, as I saw her through the glass door, and speaking in a shrill voice. "She fit to be

the wife of a prince! so's the kitchen maid then. She a beauty! your beauties indeed, make me sick always: why she's nothing, by the side of my mistress, who's head and shoulders taller. She looks indeed majestic, like a queen." "Ha! ha!" replied Johnson; "Like a queen! the queen of

I'll say no more. As Peter the thingembob poet says; I forget his other name. No horse-godmothers for me; I hate a woman like a sentry-box." "It's like your impudence, Mr. Johnson, to say such things of my lady," said Mrs. Smith, in a great passion; "I'll tell her of it;" and this was all I heard continued Lucy; for having finished what I had to do, I came away, fearful they would think I was listening; but I cannot express how much I was pleased with Mr. Johnson."

Ill and wretched as she was, Amelrosa could not avoid smiling at Lucy's account of the waiting women and Mr. Johnson, and easily discovered from whence Miss

Stan

Stanhope had received the intelligence relating to the days of her infancy.

"If I might be so bold as to give my advice," rejoined Lucy, "to a lady of your sense and education; as I have heard you say you are fond of the country, and I know you are not the least proud; situated as you are, and in such bad health, I think it would do you good to go out of town; and if it is not too far off, you can be lodged and boarded for a trifle, at my father's cottage, and my parents would shew you great kindness, for they are worthy people; and likewise more for my sake, as well as from admiring you, my dear lady, when they know you. You would have every thing about, though not fine, clean and neat.

Amelrosa in reply, assured her she was exceedingly obliged to her, for suggesting this plan, as she would prefer it to any other; and desired her to write immedi

ately to her father and mother, to know what terms they demanded for lodging and boarding her by the quarter, and requested she would acquaint her with the result, as soon as she could. When she gave Lucy her address at Mr. Taylor's, where she intended to go, she desired she would send Mr. Melville there, but no one else; and giving her money to discharge the little debts she owed, found herself then possessed of a mere trifle.

Her motive for going to Mr. Taylor's, proceeded from the frequent pressing invi tations she had received, to come and spend some time with them; and now that it would be extremely convenient to herself, she took this opportunity of accepting their friendly offer.

Having made the necessary arrangements, and her boxes placed in the hackney coach, the fair and unfortunate wanderer bid adieu to Lucy, whom she in

treated

treated to visit her as often as she could, and ordered the coachman to drive to Gower-street, where she threw the Taylor family into consternation by her sudden appearance. However, they assured her, the surprise was very agreeable, and had her boxes placed in the best bed-chamber; an attention which greatly pleased her, as she proposed, should they not receive her with cordiality, to have gone to the fat woman's to lodge; not being intimate with any person, at whose house she could have taken refuge, except the Countess de Villette's, who was unfortunately out of town. But had it been otherwise, she would have preferred residing at Mr. Taylor's, from not being subject to hear or see any thing of the Lunevilles, whose misfor tunes as she could not alleviate them, wounded her feeling mind to witness, or hear mentioned; more particularly, since she discovered the situation of Minette, and how much she had heightened their afflictions. Mrs. Romney's parting words were impressed

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