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160 misery t— Oh! is there ro chord in your heart that I can touch —is there nothing left to which I can appeal against this terrible infatuation ?” s When ladies as young, and good, and beautiful as you are,” replied the girl steadily, “give away your hearts, love will carry you all lengths — even suchas you who have home, friends, other admirers, every thing to fillthem. When such as me, who have no certain roof but the coffin-lid, and no friend in sickness or death but the hospital nurse, set our rotten hearts on any man, and let him fil the place that parents, home, and friends filled once, or that has been a blank through all our wretched lives, who can hope to cure us? Pity us, lady, — pity us for having only one feeling of the woman left, and for having that turned by a heavy judgment from a comfort and a pride into a new means of violence and suffering.” “ You will," said Rose, after a pause, “take some money from me, which may enable you to live without dishonesty — at all events until we meet again?” “ Not a penny,” replied the girl, waving her hand. _“Do not close your heart against all my efforts to help you,” said Rose, stepping gently forward. "I wish to serve you, indeed.” c You would serve me best, lady," replied the girl, wringing her hands, “if you could take my lifeat once ; for I have felt more grief to think of what I am tonight than I ever did before, and it would be something not to die in the same hell in which I have lived. God bless you, sweet lady, and send as much happiness on your head as I have brought shame on mine !” Thus speaking, and sobbing aloud, the unhappy creature turned away; while Rose Maylie, overpowered by this extraordinary interview, which bore more the semblance of a rapid dream than an actual occurrence, sank into a chair, and endeavoured to collect her wandering thoughts. CHAPTER THE FOURTH, Containing fresh discoveries, and showing that surprises, like misfortunes, seldom come alone. Her situation was indeed one of no common trial and difficulty, for while she felt the most eager and burning desire to penetrate the mystery in which Oliver’s history was enveloped, she could not but hold sacred the confidence which the miserable woman with whom she had just conversed had reposed in her, as a young and guileless girl, Her words and manner had touched Rose Maylie’s heart and mingled with her love for her young charge, and scarcely less intense in its truth and fervour was her fond wish to win the outcast back to repentance and hope. They only proposed remaining in London three days, prior to departing for some weeks to a distant part of the coast. It was now midnight of the first day. What course of action could she determine upon which could be adopted in eight-and-forty hours? or how could she postpone the journey without exciting suspicion ? Mr. Losberne was with them, and would be for the next two days; but Rose was too well acquainted with the excellent gentleman’s impetuosity, and foresaw too clearly the wrath with which, in the first explosion of his indignation, he would regard the instrument of Oliver’s recapture to trust him with the secret, when her representations in the girl’s behalf could be seconded by no experienced person. These were all reasons for the greatest caution and the most circumspect behaviour in communicating it to Mrs, Maylie, whose first impulse would infallibly be to hold a conference with the sorting to any legal adviser, even if she had known how to do so, it was scarcely to be thought of, for the same reasons. Once the thought occurred to her of seek; but this awakened the recollection of their last parting, and it seemed unworthy of her to call him back, when—the tears rose to her eyes as she pursued this train of reflection— he might have by this time learnt to forget her, and to be happier away. Disturbed by these different reflections, and inclining now to one course and then to another, and again recoiling from all as each successive consideration presented itself to her mind, Rose passed a sleepless and anxious night, and, after communing with hefself next day, arrived at the désperate conclusion of consulting Harry Maylie. “If it be painful to him,” she thought, “to come back here, how painful will it
