With head up-raised, and look intent,
And eye and ear attentive bent,

And locks flung back, and lips apart,

Like monument of Grecian art.'

She soon attracted more attention than the musician, and one youth so far forgot himself as to point to her foot; but she gave the poor singer something wrapped up in paper. It could not be less than a crown, no—a penny forsooth!-fingers like hers were formed only to touch gold and silver-not vile copper, which but a moment before the street-sweeper might have converted into a bun at the confectioner's which she had entered. True, there might be something not quite in unison with the bon ton in her beating time to the music; but, then, I thought of the airs of her beloved Italy, how beauty and enthusiasm are blended in the bosoms of those born under sunny skies, and such thoughts increased my interest for the lovely stranger, although others had smiled at this negligence. These and a thousand other such like ideas," continued he, "passed through my mind; but mark what they led to. Oh! fool that I was. But to proceed.

"She moved along in all her natural gracefulness, occasionally exchanging a smile with moustachoednonpareils; but these I thought were earls or marquesses, whom she had met at Almack's, or the Opera, or the Levee; for one so nobly formed would not deign to arch the ivory of her neck to anything beneath these. I followed her footsteps, determined that if any insult was offered to one so lovely, I would resent it; thinking she might be a princess, a foreigner, and, while dreaming of her native land, had forgotten the precise spot where she left her carriage, for she still continued to glance upon those that thundered past. At length her sandal became unloosed, and proved an impediment to

her walking. I looked around, but no footman appeared; her pace became slower; she kept nearer to the shopwindows, but never offered to enter; and the long satin riband, like a wounded snake, drew its slow length along.' I felt in torture, for many an eye was drawn downward to view her disaster, but not one was gallant enough to kneel and remove it. She paused by the corner of a palisade. She looked at her foot, then around; there were but few passing; and, like Raleigh of old, when he threw down his rich cloak at the feet of his maiden queen, so I rushed forward, and, planting one knee upon the pavement, with all the grace I possessed, I looked into her face and said, 'Allow me, fair lady.' She made no answer, but smiled, and extending her fairy foot, I soon twined the envious string round her small ankle. Another smile, and she was gone. I still remained kneeling, and caught a glance at her feet in the distance. I could have sworn to them among a thousand. She had exchanged a nod with a red-faced old gentleman, who had witnessed my gallantry, and looked on me as I knelt with a very peculiar expression. I rose and watched his glance narrowly; it came from the corner of his eye; there was a mixture of roguish knowingness in it, a kind of secret triumph, and just as he passed me with averted head, and the same queer look, his eye caught a glance at certain particles of dirt imprinted on my knee; and the ruddy old wretch gave a loud ha! ha! ha! which was re-echoed by a host of 'jarvies' from the coach-stand. But England is proverbial for its rudeness; had I done such a thing in the gardens of Paris, I should have been rewarded with glances from a hundred bright eyes. I minded not their laughter; I bore the badge of servitude upon my knee as proudly as Sir Walter bore the print of the queenly footstep upon his cloak. I would not

have rubbed it off for a kingdom. Then her eyes-the associations of Italy-her dignity-the missing of her liveried servants-the emblazonry of her carriage-her enthusiasm at sight of the poor minstrel with his guitar! I walked along in the halo of a sonnet, illuminated by her beauty; for I had knelt at her feet, where princes might feel honoured in being allowed to prostrate themselves. I walked along; she again passed me; I felt ashamed-the colour mounted my forehead-she turned as if to speak; there was a divinity in her countenance. I held down my head-I dared not look on her. She paused-I felt dizzy; perhaps she intended to acquaint me with the loss of her carriage; wished me to escort her home; to take her arm; to walk by her side-to hear her speak. Regent-street seemed to reel. I came in contact with a porter-his burden hit my head; it awoke me to a consciousness of my situation. I ventured to look after her; she was several yards from me. I saw her feet; they had resumed their former elasticity; no sandal was unbound; oh, that she had dropped a pin, her glove, her parasol, her boa, anything to have left me another chance to have accosted her! Alas! she went on-she turned to look at me again. Generous Italian! enthusiastic princess! I had done her a slight service; she came from a sunny land, not from the frigid north; she could not forget it. She was a beauty and a mystery,' and I followed her without knowing why. Poety, or romance, or madness, had spell-bound me. She seemed alone, though in London.

"At length the sky grew black, and a few big drops fell upon the pavement. I watched her narrowly; she put up her beautiful parasol; its rich greenness added to her loveliness; she seemed like a rose under an arbour of woodbine. She paused-lifted up her eyes to the sky. The rain increased-she looked in vain for

her carriage. She now stood at the corner of a street; a hackney-coachman caught her eye, and alighted from his box. I was not near enough to hear their conversation, and they entered

"There are places called 'gin palaces '-temples dedicated to juniper-this was one of them!

"The villain doubtless had informed her that it was some hotel, and persuaded her to wait there until he got his coach in readiness; and she, a beautiful foreigner, knew but little of English manners, perhaps could not speak the language perfectly; she might be imposed upon, be driven to a wrong place. No, I would not allow it, and entered the gin-shop just in time to-to see the beautiful foreigner-oh, heaven !-raising to her lips -just lifting-to those lips her own share of a quartern 'at three outs.'"*

* A knowing friend of ours, who has been blessed with three wives, chanced to read that portion of the paper which is dedicated to the praise of woman; and, on our asking his opinion as to what he thought of its truth, he placed the end of his thumb upon the tip of his nose, and, spreading out his four fingers, remained silent.

283

THE HAUNTED HOUSE.

While yet a boy I sought for ghosts, and sped
Through many a listening chamber, cave, and ruin,
And starlight wood, with fearful steps pursuing
Hopes of high talk with the departed dead :

I called on poisonous names, with which our youth is fed.
I was not heard: I saw them not.

SHELLEY.

WHILE in search of historical facts for my last work, I was forcibly struck with the various omens, spells, and superstitions which existed among the Anglo-Saxons, and which are still prevalent in the present day in many of our English villages. I doubt not but that those feelings are cherished by the existence of so many splendid relics of the old time: that our venerable cathedrals, hoary castles, and imposing manor-houses do much toward keeping alive these ancient superstitions. The peasant passes much of his time in solitude, has to range the silent fields in the dark at different seasons of the year, pass woods and places where murder has been done, and cross-roads where some suicide is interred. I remember well when a boy having to pass the gibbet-post at Saxilby one stormy night, when the wild broken sky, with its masses of gloomy and billowy clouds, through which the watery moon now and then gleamed, together with the roaring of the trees, the hooting of an owl, and the whistling and creaking of the gibbet-irons as they rattled to and fro in the blast, caused me to look sharply around, and hurry on the rusty old