of its loveliness, nor to gaze upon the march of the majestic element. They sat with fixed and moody looks-their dresses were disordered-their brows flushed-the ground whereon they sat was trampled down and dinted with footsteps, while two drawn swords glittered on the grass within reach of their right hands.

If they had sought out that secluded place for the purpose of working each other harm, they seemed well matched by nature in strength, spirit, and activity. They appeared both of an age-were both handsome, and, though of different ranks in life, were distinguished alike by a bold and commanding look, more accustomed to give law than yield submission. Yet nature, in creating them, had not followed in each the same principles of manly grace and elegant proportion,-neither had she bestowed on the one the same firm inflexibility of purpose, the same steady glance of eye and unwavering resolution of heart, with which she had endowed the other; while, to complete the dissimilitude, education and circumstances had combined to animate their minds and hearts by different impulses, which gave to each a marked and decided character.

With the taller, and, it must be owned, the handsomer, as well as the better born, the world and its ways had been at work, and fits of dissipation and sensual indulgence-a pride which owned no restraint, and a temper which endured none, had somewhat blighted a face naturally beautiful and

noble, and imparted a wayward and unsettled glance to large, round, dark, and deep-sunk eyes, with lashes as black as the back of the raven. Something of foreign travel was visible about him; and this was strengthened by his dress-graceful, because it became him, but fantastic, inasmuch it was partly at war with the current fashion of the country. His handsome limbs and feet were seen to advantage, in stockings of fleshcoloured silk, and shoes of Spanish leather, secured at the latchets by embossed buckles,—a black velvet waistcoat, embroidered with gold, and fastened with small strawberry buttons of the same metal, came close to his chin, partly concealing a neckcloth richly flowered, and fastened by a clasp of diamonds. A mantle or short military cloak, of a sea-green colour, and a slouched hat, with a feather of the seaeagle stuck carelessly in it, were thrown beside him on the ground. A scornful smile dawned upon his lip, and in his eye there was a light that boded no peaceable termination to the meeting.

The person of his opponent may be dismissed with a more brief description. He was above rather than below the middle size, firmly and elegantly built, compact, and sinewy and elastic as the tempered steel. His face, oval and regular, was embrowned by exposure to wind and rain and the influence of tropical suns,—his hair, bushy and dark, descended to his shoulders, and partly gathered into a small lock behind, was tied carelessly with a

riband, while his bright black eye had a gaze calm, resolute, and unchanging,-a shrewd mind-measuring glance, which dived into human purposes, and sounded the depths of men with the accuracy of a plummet. His dress had something of a military look about it-was plain rather than coarse; while a gold watch, and silver buckles in his shoes, might either express the opulence of the man or the vanity of the mariner.

Silence had continued between them for five minutes' space or more; but the impatience of their natures made silence more irksome than intemperate speech. The taller arose-resumed his mantle-fastened it so as to fall negligently down on the left side, threw his hat carelessly on his head,wiped his brow and hands with an embroidered handkerchief, which perfumed for a moment the air around, and then glanced at his shadow in the moon, like a deer gazing upon its limbs and branching horns mirrored in the clear lake out of which it drinks.

“Paul,” he said, addressing his companion in a careless and familiar tone," you handle a small sword well-you have a foot as firm, a hand as active, and an eye as skilful and quick, as any man I have encountered. If you could control for a time the fiery vehemence of your nature,-for there's an impatience about you which I advise you to check, lest it do you a mischief,—you might browbeat a Frenchman, strike an Italian, and out

stare a Spaniard, without fear of exposing your bosom to a blade skilful enough to pierce it. How say you?-shall we return to the dance?-shall we count the successive lines of the Solway tide?—I have numbered seven-shall we keep an hour's note of the porpoises, one by one, as they roll lazily on in the swelling frith ?—shall we make an estimate of the probable wealth of the good town of Dumfries from the number of vessels passing and repassing during the tide?-or, as you still look lordly upon it, let us even pick up these little glittering instruments which are rusting in the dew, and give the fish a feast, let us do something-it is miserable to be idle." As he spoke, he resumed his sword, put it beneath his left arm, and stept two paces back, seemingly to await the decision of his opponent.

"Lord Dalveen," said Paul, rising as he spoke with his weapon in his hand, "decide for yourselfthe point of the sword or the hand of forgivenesschoose between them, and that before the turn of the tide,—see it is near the height."-" Nay, but my good friend," answered Lord Dalveen, “I cannot dictate to you, even though you desire me; for, blessed be my humility of nature, I am willing to forget that you are the son of my father's servant, and ready to believe, with yourself, in the natural equality of man." "This belief is quite new to your lordship," said Paul,-" abide by it-change it not as you have changed all else about you that

was dear to me-such belief is honourable;-you smile, my lord,-but the day is at hand when princes of the earth as well as lords shall hear men's equality preached,—not in the sacred church, but in the open field-not with human tongues, but with bullet and bayonet. The tide is nigh the full, my lord, with nations as well as with you and me."—" Now, my prophetic friend," replied the young nobleman, "you have excited my curiosity so strongly, that I wish to live to see those stirring times when princes and peers are to be admonished by powder and ball. There will be empty coronets, and as an earl's bauble was taken from my grandfather's brow at one of those same fieldpreachings, may not his descendant pick up some such glittering toy ?—I thank you for the hint.”

The dark eyes of Paul appeared to lighten, and wrath circulated like liquid fire through his veins. His hat in a moment was thrown on the grass, and his sword was gleaming in his hand. "Am I only born to endure," he exclaimed in a stern voice, "thy cool insults and ironical scorn?-may that sea swallow me up if its tide turn before I have taught thee to mix some meekness with thy insolence." And he advanced his sword within half-blade's length of his adversary's bosom.

Lord Dalveen stood calm and unmoved; he dropt his mantle, drew his sword, and said, "A boon, a boon, thou courteous knight! the Mermaid-crag is some threescore paces off-the tide at its foot is