"The Chevalier Valancourt!" faid Emily, trembling extremely.

Yes, mademoiselle, he himself, though he made me promise not to tell, but how could one help, when one heard him ill spoken of? Ah! dear young lady, you may well weep, if you have behaved unkindly to him, for a more tender heart than his never young gentleman had. He found me out in my distress, when you was too far off to help me; and M. Quefnel refufed to do fo, and bade me go to fervice again-Alas! I was too old for that!-The Chevalier found me, and bought me this cottage, and gave me money to furnish it, and bade me feek out another poor woman to live with me; and he ordered his brother's fteward to pay me, every quarter, that which has fupported me in comfort. Think then, mademoiselle, whether I have not reason to speak well of the Chevalier. And there are others, who could have afforded it better than he and I am afraid he has hurt himfelf by his generofity, for quarter day is gone

gone by long fince, and no money for me! But do not weep fo, mademoiselle: you are not forry furely to hear of the poor Chevalier's goodnels."

"Sorry!" faid Emily, and wept the more. "But how long is it fince you have feen him ?"

"Not this many a day, mademoiselle." "When did you hear of him?" enquired Emily, with increased emotion.

"Alas! never fince he went away fo fuddenly into Languedoc; and he was but just come from Paris then, or I fhould have feen him, I am fure. Quarter day is gone by long fince, and, as I faid, no money for me; and I begin to fear fome harm has happened to him; and if I was not fo far from Eftuviere, and fo lame, I should have gone to enquire before this time; and I have nobody to fend fo far.”

Emily's anxiety, as to the fate of Valancourt, was now fcarcely endurable, and, fince propriety would not fuffer her to fend to the chateau of his brother, fhe requested

L3

requested that Therefa would immediately hire fome person to go to his fteward from herfelf, and, when he asked for the quarterage due to her, to make enquiries concerning Valancourt. But fhe first made Therefa promise never to mention her name in this affair, or ever with that of the Chevalier Valancourt; and her former faithfulness to M. St. Aubert induced Emily to confide in her affurances. Therefa now joyfully undertook to procure a perfon for this errand, and then Emily, after giving her a fum of money to fupply her with prefent. comforts, returned, with fpirits heavily oppreffed, to her home, lamenting, more than ever, that an heart, poffeffed of so much benevolence as Valancourt's, fhould have been contaminated by the vices of the world, but affected by the delicate affection, which his kindness to her old fervant expreffed for herself.

CHAP.

CHA P. XII.

"Light thickens, and the crow

Makes wing to the rooky wood :

Good things of day begin to droop, and drowze;

While night's black agents to their preys do rouze.'

MEANWHIL

MACBETH.

Count de Villefort and

Lady Blanche had paffed a pleasant fortnight at the chateau de St. Foix, with the Baron and Baronefs, during which they made frequent excurfions among the mountains, and were delighted with the romantic wildness of Pyrené an fcenery. It was with regret, that the Count bade adieu to his old friends, although with the hope of being foon united with them in one family; for it was fettled, that M. St. Foix, who now attended them into Gafcony, fhould receive the hand of the Lady Blanche, upon their arrival at Chateau-le Blanc. As the road, from the Baron's refidence to La Vallée, was

over fome of the wildeft tract of the Pyre. nées, and where a carriage-wheel had never paffed, the Count hired mules for himself and his family, as well as a couple of stout guides, who were well armed, informed of all the paffes of the mountains, and who boasted, too, that they were acquainted with every brake and dingle in the way, could tell the names of all the highest points of this chain of Alps, knew every foreft, that spread along their narrow vallies, the halloweft part of every torrent they muft crofs, and the exact distance of every goat-herd's and hunter's cabin they fhould have occafion to pafs,which laft article of learning required no very capacious memory, for even fuch fimple inhabitants were but thinly scattered over thefe wilds.

The Count left the chateau de St. Foix, early in the morning, with an intention of paffing the night at a little inn upon the mountains, about half way to La Vallée, of which his guides had informed him; and, though this was frequented chiefly by Spa