Countess Valdalla, and worthy to be worn by her, is nothing but a heap of spots and tarnish; my two Barcelona gowns will not cut into a small morning-cloak; and all my silk hose gone for ever. O, signor, I shall never recover such treasures!" At the same time she handled and looked wistfully at a rich black Barcelona silk which had been placed before him.

"I am glad, signora, that you admire that silk, for I had intended to solicit the honour of being permitted to present you with enough of it to supply the place of the two destroyed by that vile salt water

Turning to the merchant, he desired him to cut off the required quantity. The duenna, evidently pleased, warmly thanked him, and carried off her prize, leaving her intended purchases for a future day. The merchant was a shrewd fellow, and gave directions that Vernon should be informed when she again made her appearance. As he anticipated, about the same hour on the following day she again arrived. He left her to make purchases for herself and the marchioness before he appeared. Ilis inquiries were general; but he had studied them, and obtained some information of importance. His present to the duenna was more magnificent than the day before the whole being too large and heavy for her to carry, she directed it not to be sent before the afternoon, as she was going to the superior of the convent of St. Ursula, near the shore. Such an opportunity was not to be lost of holding intercourse with Isabella. He had already written many pages to her, and only added what he had learned from the duenna; and implored her, if practicable, to devise some means of communication. He then made a small purchase, and carefully concealed in it the letter. The youth who was to carry the goods was intelligent, and one whom an adventure of any sort excited. Vernon summoned him, and asked him at once, if he paid him well, whether he would serve him faithfully. The youth promptly replied, “In danger and in love, but not in dishonour." "Well answered; here's an earnest of our compact" (throwing him a doubloon). oath of fidelity."

Now for your

The boy bent his knee, and vowed, by

"Now, Pedro, listen. You are to carry the goods for the duenna; go an hour before the time appointed, put this small parcel in your bosom, and, if you have an opportunity, convey it to the young lady you saw with her at chapel last Sunday."

"Signor," replied Pedro, "if it is not to be effected discreetly, I will not attempt it; but rely on my doing my best."

He secured the packet in his bosom, and disappeared. Vernon watched him leave the house, and paced the room with feverish excitement, thinking the minutes hours. He saw the marquess pass in a direction from his home, and looked on it as a lucky omen. At length Pedro returned, and was rated by his master for disobeying his directions as to time. The boy in vain protested that he had misunderstood his directions.

"This will sharpen your intellect, and improve your memory," exclaimed the choleric merchant; and applied his measure pretty severely to Pedro's back; who feeling the doubloon in his pocket, cared but little for the smart, particularly as the thought crossed his mind, that he might gain several more on the same terms. Pedro escaped, and his master retired to his siesta. Vernon had heard all that passed, and saw Pedro shamming a whimper, as his master closed his door. As soon as he heard the well-known intermittent nasal sounds, which were the usual signals for him to play truant, he walked into Vernon's room, and gave the following account of his mission :

"I went to the hotel, where the waiting-woman is an old friend of my mother's, and asked for signora. She desired me to give her the goods, which I good-naturedly refused, as I was to deliver them into no one's hands but the signora. Pedro, I insist on your giving them to me,' she repeated. I became serious, and assured her, that if it were discovered my poor back would smart for it. As Anella always liked me, and has a good heart, she forbore, and opened a door, where I beheld the young lady and her mother. I told my story, and respectfully solicited that the goods might be compared with the invoice. The parcels were unpacked, and while the marchioness was admiring the silk, and

ugg and the

hose, and gave that look to the young lady which she understood; and she secured the packet. And for my disobedience, my master has spoiled the colour of my shoulders." Here he shrugged his shoulders, and put on a sorrowful face.

"Never mind your back, Pedro ; here's a ducat to buy salve." The boy pocketed the ducat, and continued.

"The young lady took the invoice, and said to the marchioness, I will write, to testify that the articles are all correct;' and I did not give the paper to my master, but here it is."

Vernon seized the paper and read in English these few words: "Beloved, look to-morrow, after vespers, beneath the foot of the statue of the Virgin, in the last chapel on the left." He signalled Pedro to be gone, and then read the words again and again,—threw himself on the couch, started up, walked, sat down, read it again,-—then suddenly exclaimed, “This unmanageable excitement must not continuethe time for acting, not dreaming, has arrived!" He reclined, and gave himself up to forming many schemes and plans for future operations.

Closely muffled in a Spanish cloak, he waited in a retired part of the chapel, and saw his beloved enter the shrine she had named; and, after she had knelt and prayed, he observed her approach the statue, and soon after leave the chapel. He entered, possessed himself of the treasure, then hastened to his home.

The packet was voluminous, and occupied his attention for the remainder of the night. The few lines referring to him personally breathed foud and devoted love; the remaining pages contained the reflections and workings of a pious and powerful mind on the degree of duty due to her parents, when they were attempting to usurp an authority over her future life, in opposition to her wishes and convictions. The latter part was yet more important; in it she expressed strong doubts of the purity of her church, admitted the effect of his former conversation on her, when she reflected on it, and desired more information, and, if possible, the Sacred Volume. Vernon saw with an exulting smile, that with so high and bold a spirit, and so clear an intellect, the great point was won. He was not unacquainted with the comparative views of the two churches, and under

the strongest impulse wrote at once much that his memory readily sup plied. He added the volume she required, and as the morning broke his task was finished, and he sunk to sleep. sleep. Two days elapsed before an opportunity occurred of placing the parcel in her hands. She accompanied the duenna and the marchioness to the seller of silks. Pedro soon contrived to put it within her reach, and to place himself between her and the duenna, and thus enabled her to secure it unperceived. The result was, her determination never to be forced to take the veil of her opinions she said little. Her spirits were sinking, and her health waning from constant persecution, when the death of her father gave a new turn to her thoughts: though she lamented him as a parent who loved her, she could not conceal from herself that, his authority being dissolved, she was more independent and freer to act for herself, and some part of the fear of being immured for the remainder of her days was removed.

Vernon, who had for several months foreseen that some decided step alone could place her in his possession, had drawn for large sums from England, and with them purchased, through an agent, an American schooner which had been captured, and gradually manned and equipped her.

The marchioness had removed from the town to a small retired villa near the convent of St. Ursula. I must be rather minute in the description of the locality of this dwelling. It was a low quadrangle; the entrance was an arched door of Moorish structure, which led to a court covered in with vines, trailed over a trellis - work; a small fountain played in the centre; the windows, excepting in the front, looked into the court. Before the dwelling was a space covered with myrtles, dwarf orange-trees, and the flowers of the country; the ground sloped to a small and quiet bay; on one side of it stood the gray and lonely convent, surrounded by lofty walls; on the opposite eminence a martello tower, half fallen to decay, once defended the adjoining shore. Beyond, the Mediterranean formed the boundary; behind the villa were extensive vineyards. The construction made ingress and egress, without the knowledge of the persons who occupied the rooms on

both sides of the entrance, nearly impossible; but when without the building concealment was facile.

To this curious place Isabella was conveyed. The household consisted of a stout father-confessor, the duenna, and a few domestics. At the instigation of the marchioness, Father Pablo was unceasing in his exhortations to Isabella to fly from a world then convulsed with war, and slaked in blood and ashes, and to give herself up to devotion, and become the spouse of Heaven. Isabella had heard too much of the interior of a convent to pay attention to the persevering Jesuit, and often reasoned with him, until he was compelled to resort to his assumed spiritual knowledge instead of the force of truth. What the future views of the cold and selfish marchioness were could only be conjectured. Her conduct led fairly to the belief, that she only wished to see her child immured, to pursue, with a great dowry, the course of life she preferred. Many concurring circumstances led Isabella to that conclusion.

Vernon had prudently kept out of sight, and held constant communication by letters, which were deposited by her during her walks, and found by him. At length, one letter convinced him that he had no time to lose it related the threats and violence of the marchioness, the horrid denunciations and threatened curses of Pablo, on their having discovered the copy of the Bible she had received from Vernon. The Jesuit threatened accusation of heresy, and the mother declared that she would support the accusation for her conscience sake. The letter ended with these words :-" The pure and simple doctrines of the Christian church are not the practice nor the tenets of the church in which I was educated. My natural mother is my spiritual enemy, and I am ready to trust myself to you: be prudent, for I am watched most closely; and how to escape by night I know not,-by day it would be impossible. My window is the second on the side near the myrtlehedge; the duenna sleeps in a recess beyond my room." When any decided step is to be taken, first well consider the means, and the end to be obtained; take precise measures, but with room for resource, in case of being frustrated at any step: then act boldly

his letter beneath the rock, and directed her to have a light in her room, unless she could remain at the rock until night. On his return, he met Pablo, whose scrutinising glance was not unobserved by Vernon, and raised in him a host of suspicions. His nature was too full of energy to hesitate; he was conscious, too, that he was no match for the Jesuit, if he delayed. He hastened to his schooner, selected twenty men, and ordered every thing to be in readiness to weigh after nightfall. I was with him; he had wound himself to the proper state for acting, and was calm, precise, and decided. He directed his first officer to proceed with ten men by the old fort of St. Philip, and steal quietly within the shore, leave St. Ursula on their right, and station themselves along the myrtle-hedge. Pedro was to be their guide. The men were well, but lightly, armed. Vernon, with the other ten men, were to make a circuit round the vineyards, and approach, by a ravine near the shore, the rock where their letters had been placed. I took the schooner out of the harbour, and, as the wind was light, anchored her as close as possible under the precipitous land near St. Ursula, and with muffled oars pulled, as silently as possible, in the shadow near the shore, and turned the boat's stern to the beach. One glance from a dark lantern was replied to. I watched the light in the second window, and twice saw a female form cross the window. The men near the myrtle-hedge were all in ambush. Vernon crept through the vineyards with his men, bearing a scaling-ladder. The window was thrown open, as if to admit the air; in an instant the ladder was planted, and Vernon flew up it. As he reached the top, and prepared to aid Isabella to descend, she screamed, the light was extinguished, and a struggle was heard within. Vernon flew up, followed by four men. I, with the other six, in a moment burst through the main entrance, by blowing off the lock; the remaining men, formed round in the rear. The moon shone clear and bright, and enabled us to find our way. Guess our horror, when nowhere could we discover Isabella. Vernon was pale, and cool, his eyes flashing fire. We stood gazing for a few seconds at each other, not knowing how to act; when Vernon exclaimed." There's some

the convent; if she is not here she is there, and we will have her." A faint scream beneath us was heard; by this time a lamp and the lanterns were relighted, and all descended to the basement story. Some narrow steps were seen, with a heavy door at the end; fortunately, two of the men had boarding tomahawks, and soon cut through the stout panel. Vernon hastened on; I followed with a light, and, after proceeding about two hundred yards, we heard a cry of despair before us. Vernon rushed on, followed by us; in a minute he saw Isabella being dragged along, but resisting the powerful Pablo. On seeing that his object was frustrated, he let go his hold of the exhausted girl, drew a poniard from his girdle, and raised it to plunge into her bosom. Vernon, with the quickness of light, had seen, by the gleam of the torch which had fallen on the ground, the diabolical intention, and with a pistol-ball arrested the stroke, and ended the villain's life. We raised the body of Isabella, and quickly bore it to the entrance of the passage, where a confused din reached our ears; and it was evident that people had assembled, and there was at least altercation.

"Form yourselves," said Vernon ; "be steady, and remember we succeed, or die !"

On reaching the court, the din was more plainly heard, and screams from the windows for help mingled with the noise of vociferations and threats. We passed the portal, which had been judiciously taken possession of by the men and officer who were near the myrtle-hedge, and who had shewn a determined front to those who had come, mostly unarmed, on hearing the screams, and who had been warned by an emissary of Pablo's. The men closed round Isabella and their leader, -ten keeping their faces alternately to the following crowd. To my joy I saw the schooner steal with her white wings round the headland, and send off a boat. The convent was roused, and bells were ringing, and women scream

ing, and other persons running to and fro.

"We have no time to lose," said Vernon.

As

Some distant musket-shots, from, as we learnt afterwards, the Walloon guards, corroborated his words. we placed Isabella in the boat, the fire was repeated, and two of our men were wounded. We pulled away, and soon reached the off side of the schooner; the men were quickly on board the boats sent for them, and rowed off amidst a scattered dropping fire; the starboard sheets were hauled over; the schooner's head then paid off, and the fair wind filled her sails, and she darted through the water. The sounds of the alarmed crowds died away; their numbers were soon indistinct, though the moon shone with the brightness of a northern day, and the alarm bells of the convent came fainter and fainter along the sea.

Vernon was below with Isabella, who had recovered her sensibility, and looked inquiringly around. Her eyes met Vernon's; she held out her arms, and pressed him almost convulsively to her heart.

"What has happened? where am I?" She closed her eyes, and said, in a low, touching voice, "What matters? I have escaped from that fiend, the Jesuit: Vernon is with me-my preserver, my protector."

It was thought advisable not to awake unnecessarily recollections which had for a time been erased from her memory. Vernon raised her on some cushions, and left her to the care of the first officer's wife and her sister, and came on deck. His words of thanks were few to his men, but they were such as seamen like to hear. He pressed my hand, and smiling said,— "What am I to do with you?" “Where are you bound to?" was my reply.

"To Madeira."

"Farewell!-safety and happiness await you!" And I returned in the morning to my ship.

A SKETCH, BY THE AUTHOR OF

Ar the commencement, it did not seem very probable that anecdotes from the note-book of a retired accountant would find much favour in the estimation either of Mr. YORKE or of the public. Bills, bonds, and bailiffs,-dashing, dicing, and being dished,-spoonism and spunging-houses are not usually selected and approved as the mainsprings of romantic story. However, as two of my narratives, unromantic as they were, have not only passed muster, but been commended and reprinted, I shall now proceed with another specimen.

"It was the dawn of an autumn day; The sun was struggling with frost-fog gray;"

and this day was destined to be one of the most beautiful that ever shone. It was beautiful even in Lincoln's Inn New Square, as the dingy old place is styled; and the trees, refreshed by the aforesaid gray fog, actually responded to the sunlight-—their leaves dancing and glittering in its rays; and though it was a conceded point that they never in their lives could look green, because the dust and smoke would not permit them, yet they could display the brown and yellow tints of autumn almost as well as the most respectable woods in Hampshire, Kent, or Devon.

It is a noble proof of industry and of thriving propensities to rise early, and be at one's place of business betimes in the morning. This evidence of prosperity was always exhibited by Mr. Grigsbaye Cutlar, the celebrated equity draftsman and conveyancer of Lincoln's Inn, who died not long ago, leaving, as is well known, the bulk of his fortune for charitable purposes. On the morning to which my story refers, this pre-eminent and public-spirited gentleman came to his chambers even earlier than usual, not on account of the fine weather-for he did not care a rush about it,-but because he was on the point of winding up a professional job, by which he would net a large sum, his annual income having averaged at about 8000l. or 10,000l. for the last thirty years. In short, he "stood at the head of his profession," 2287 2028 2 Dam Nonone to hang him

He

But so distinguished a character merits a more particular description. Mr. Grigsbaye Cutlar was a stout, punchy, ancient gentleman, with a bald head, and some remnants of hair entirely white, which gave him a venerable appearance; but his leading physiognomical trait was the extreme placidity and amenity of his aspect. Professional success, it is obvious, will not come merely because it is wished for, and sought after. Plutus, with his bags of gold, may be summoned often enough before he answers to the call ; and to many people it appeared inexplicable how old Grigsbaye flourished at such a rate,-for, though assiduous and methodical, he was excessively slow in his operations. Moreover, he resolutely opposed the notion of being in such manner "wedded to business," as to leave no opportunities for coquetting with pleasure. would not sacrifice the whole of his evenings as well as days to law-papers, -not he! One of his favourite maxims was, that people might have time enough for all things, if only they had sense enough to make use of it. And Mr. Grigsbaye Cutlar was never known to refuse an invitation to dinner, if he had reason to believe that the proffered cheer was good. So frequently, too, was he invited, that his own cook had little or nothing to do; and his domestic expenses for all the luxuries of life scarcely exceeded 100l. per annum. For though he could find leisure to accept of dinners, his professional pursuits would not allow of his giving any. It is superfluous to add, that he became immensely rich; and as his wealth increased, the respect which he had already gained of course increased also, as if the lustre of his ready wealth spread a halo around him.

On the whole, it would have been absurd to doubt that Mr. Grigsbaye Cutlar's success was owing to his preeminent talents and virtues, among which must always be reckoned his admirable prudence and economy, whereby he was enabled firmly to retain the grasp of whatever he had acquired. He was regarded as a model in Lincoln's Inn, and the permission to study ag a band marking clerk in his office