"And shall I not love such a man?" said Isabella, fervently.

"To be sure, my dear!" said Mrs. Nesbitt. "Who would say to the contrary? I beg I may not be misunderstood; do not conceive that I am counselling you to rebellion, or witchcraft, or any other such crying sin! I think you know me better;- you know that I am quite religious. There are people who call me methodistical; -but I do not mind that; -I go on in the way which I know to be right, and let people think and talk as they please. I assure you, my dear, I live to myself, and my own notions; and to shew you that I am right I can quote Scripture for every thing that I advise; for I shall advise nothing but what shall be for the good of your husband, and your happiness; and you will see in twenty instances that I can quote you out of the Bible, that

where the end is righteous, the means become so too; and in your case they will be strictly so; for what do I advise? Nothing in the least wrong in itself!-only to let your husband know that you have it in your power to do wrong if you please, that he may look about him, and make him lock up his jewel in his own bosom, lest it should be worn on the finger of another."

"Oh! my dear, dear madam,” cried Isabella, "don't make such suppositions. I cannot bear them."

"Poo!" said Mrs. Nesbitt. "When he sees that you don't like to do wrong, will he not love you the better? Besides, all stratagems are fair in war; there would be no living in this world but for these little detours ;-yes, detours. I am really forced to use the word, though you know that I am a true John Bull, and hate the French,

all but their gloves and their silks, and their fashions; yes, I hate their very language; but roundabouts is so vulgar! Who could say roundabouts? But there is no harm in the thing, my dear. Witness the good Rebecca's ingenious little plan. She knew that the elder was to serve the younger; but all things are done by means in this world, and so she was quite right to make use of what she thought would succeed best. But don't be alarmed; I am not going to wrap you up in the skins of beasts. My very first measure, if it cannot be said to be as open as daylight, shall at least be as brilliant: you shall give a ball."

Nay now, my dear madam, I am sure that you are laughing at me," said Isabella. "What can my giving a ball have to do with making me acceptable to Mr. Willoughby? does not love balls. I have heard him

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say that he is too old for them; and I wished at that moment that I did not love dancing so well, lest he should think himself too old for me too."

"He is not too old," replied Mrs. Nesbitt, "to admire the pretty fancies of a pretty woman in the decorations of a ball, my dear. I saw that pretty plainly when Lady Charlotte, like the old woman in the fairy-tale, turned all her tradesman husband's eggs and nuts into pearls and diamonds, and astonished the whole world by the taste and splendour of her debut in fête making. Deuce take the French! their words are always on one's tongue, I think, when one is talking of the nothings of life. Yet balls that can fix wavering husbands, or that can keep doubtful ones from wavering, are not nothings; and I saw with half an eye how your fickle swain bowed before the creative powers of the goddess

of the scene. Nay, I heard it too: for, my love, for your sake, I think it no shame to lend an attentive ear to what otherwise would pass without notice. Much good may come from such attentions sometimes. You know that Gideon was sent to listen to what was passing in his enemy's camp, and was encouraged by what he heard there, and so got the victory. Well, as I was saying, it so happened, that just as I had slipped behind some of that magnificent drapery which, while it served to conceal the awkward junction of two of the rooms, was equally an ornament to both, I heard-"

Pray, my dear, Mrs. Nesbitt, do not tell me what you heard," said Isabella. "I do not wish you to listen for my sake; and I am sure that such results as you seem to have met with can never encourage me."

"Oh! my dear, I heard no harm,' said Mrs. Nesbitt: "nothing, I dare