also was present at the wedding-dinner, and accompanied her sister when she made her first appearance at church. These duties however being performed, she requested permission thenceforward to remain in retirement, and devote herself, as formerly, to the satisfaction of her beloved parent.

Mr. Egerton Beauchamp objected to this arrangement; but Isabella approved of it, telling her sister that she was entirely at liberty to do as she pleased, particularly as she herself was at no loss for young friends who would be happy to attend her in receiving and making the usual visits at such a season.

Clarissa was somewhat more than nineteen years of age at the time her sister married, and from that period till she herself became of age, she lived with her mother in the house which according to her father's will was now become her sister's; where she passed her days in great retirement, confining herself almost entirely to the society of her dear parent. She slept in her room, made tea by her bed-side in a morning, and amused her afterwards till the hour arrived for taking the air, which she regularly did every day in company with her mother; after which she dined with her, read to her, and worked by her or walked with her till tea-time. In this manner she occupied the day so agreeably to poor Mrs. Danzy, that although the old lady still evidenced some tokens of a deranged state of mind, yet she certainly, on the whole, enjoyed great peace, and would sometimes talk very rationally on various subjects, intermingling her discourse with extremely interesting references to events long since gone by.

When Clarissa was obliged to leave her mother, or wished to enjoy a few minutes to herself, she found great comfort in the assistance given her by her nurse, who could amuse Mrs. Danzy almost as well as herself. And, after a while, observing the composure of her mother, and that he was much neglected by her sister, she ventured to introduce her uncle into her mother's sittingroom at meal-times; when Clarissa was happy to find that the old people agreed together very well, and that, while she was by these kind attentions administering to the comfort of her uncle, he, in return, by his long oldfashioned tales, afforded much amusement to her mother.

In the mean time, while Clarissa was living quietly at one end of the mansion-house, with her mother, her nurse, and her old uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Beauchamp were engaged in one continued round of gaiety; visiting and being visited, giving and receiving costly entertainments, and, in short, running to such extremes of gaiety and expence, as induced Mr. Barnet to foretel that the young people would speedily be involved in difficulties, unless they could bring their minds to submit to timely retrenchments.

Whenever Mr. Barnet had an opportunity of conversing alone with Clarissa, he never failed to express his apprehensions on this head, namely, that Mr. and Mrs. Beauchamp would certainly involve themselves in pecuniary difficulties, unless they could be prevailed upon to live in a more economical manner, and to lavish less money in dress, equipage, and amusement. Neither did Mr. Barnet refrain from expostulating with Isabella herself on this subject; though to very little purpose, since neither she nor her husband would listen to any thing he had to urge respecting prudence in pecuniary matters. Pleasure and gaiety were the objects of their most vehement pursuit, from which neither arguments nor persuasions could withdraw them: or, to use other words, these young people were so entirely devoted to self-indulgence, that no motive which could be brought forward was sufficient to influence them to a single act of self-denial.

In the mean time, Clarissa was speedily approaching the completion of her twenty-first year, at which period her sister would no longer be obliged by her father's will to allow her an apartment in the mansion-house; and accordingly she had given her several hints, though in a half laughing way, that she must soon think of providing herself with another dwelling. These hints, however, had been enough for Clarissa; and, in consequence, she had thus expressed her feelings to Mr. Barnet: " My dear uncle, when I am of age, I doubt not that we shall be removed from this place; and I think we must all move together; for unless I have my old establishment about me, go where I will, I shall be unhappy. Therefore, my kind steward, you must begin to look out for us, and find me a habitation in which my dear mother

may have every convenience that she has enjoyed under this roof. As to ourselves, we must do as well as we can: but there must, at any rate, be a corner for you, my good uncle.”

"You are a good girl, Clarissa," said the old man. "The Almighty will bless you. You make me ashamed of my own cold and hard heart. But I feel a growing confidence that the Lord will reward you."

Agreeably to this request of Clarissa, Mr. Barnet began to look about for a habitation: and discovering one at the end of the village which he thought might suit their purpose, he made a purchase of it. Immediately after which, by Clarissa's direction, he endeavoured to render the apartments destined for Mrs. Danzy as much like those she had long inhabited as circumstances would admit.

As Mrs. Danzy was particularly fond of the little balcony into which the windows of her sitting-room opened, with the flight of steps which led into the garden, Clarissa took care that a similar balcony and flight of steps should be prepared: and she gave a particular charge that the garden in which the house stood should be planted and beautifully arranged. With respect to her mother's furniture, she had no doubt, in case of their removal, that all would be freely given for her use; although no stipulation of the kind was made in her father's will.

Having taken these precautions, Clarissa quietly and unapprehensively waited the period when she would become of age. In the mean time, she resolved not to take any steps for the removal of her mother, until she understood her sister's wishes on the subject. Of this one thing she was however determined, that if she herself removed, she would never consent to leave her helpless parent behind.

It was in the month of June that Clarissa attained her twenty-first year. This day however instead of being hailed with any tokens of public festivity or joy, as the birth-day of a heiress, was allowed to pass totally unregarded by all except her nurse and uncle, who both rejoiced sincerely on the occasion. And shortly afterwards the old gentleman, who was a truly honest man, took the first opportunity of giving Clarissa an account

of his stewardship, by which it appeared that she was at that time in possession of an income of two thousand a year from landed estates, added to a considerable property in ready money. It was not without feelings of gratitude that Clarissa perceived herself to be so richly endowed, nor did she fail to express a devout hope that grace might be given her to devote her possessions to the glory of God.

After Clarissa had looked over her accounts, and satisfied herself how profitable a steward her uncle had been to her, she expressed her obligations to him in the warmest terms, and requested that he would always make her house his home, assuring him that she should ever consider herself as owing him the duty of a daughter. The old man was much affected by her kindness, and the more so as his own income was very small.

Clarissa's birth-day had scarcely passed by, when Isabella, coming one morning into her apartment, addressed her, in a manner as if she wished to conceal ill-humour under an appearance of gaiety, "As you are now oneand-twenty, Clarissa, I suppose you have formed some plans for your future life. According to my father's will, if I married before you were of age, I was bound to keep you in the house till that period; but that obligation has now ceased, and of course you will think of a habitation for yourself."

Certainly," replied Clarissa, as calmly as she could speak, certainly, if you wish it."

"I wish it," replied Isabella, "because my house is no larger than we can very well your people require much room.'

Occupy; and you and

Clarissa was silent for a moment, and then replied, "You do not suppose, my dear sister, that I shall leave my beloved mother behind me! you have no objection to my taking her with me wherever I may go?"

"It is not my wish that it should be so," said Isabella. "I and Mrs. Burton can surely take all proper care of her."

Sister," said Clarissa, "I now solemnly assure you, that, although I should thereby be reduced to the utmost inconvenience, I never will be separated from my mother."

Then," said Isabella, "you must take her with you

when you remove; for Mr. Beauchamp can no longer permit his house to be filled with such a tribe as you have about you."

Clarissa endeavoured to overcome her indignation, and to speak with composure: "You then would rather, sister, that I should remove my mother than remain with her here?"

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Undoubtedly," replied Isabella. Indeed, at any rate, I could not possibly permit my mother to remain in the rooms she now occupies, as our drawing-room which adjoins her dressing-room is too small for us, and it is Mr. Beauchamp's intention to throw the two rooms into one by taking down the centre wall, and forming an arch between."

Clarissa was silent again for a moment, and then said, "Isabella, my mother shall soon be out of the way of your alterations. I have provided a house to which I

can retire with her immediately."

"I was told as much," said Isabella, coldly. "Things do not pass so quietly in a village as that the plans of any family in it can be easily concealed."

"Especially," said Clarissa, "when there has been no intention of concealment."

"You are at liberty to move whenever you please, sister," said Isabella; "and I am glad that you have provided yourself with so agreeable a habitation."

"You will not then be displeased, Isabella," said Clarissa, “if I give orders for the removal of my mother's furniture to-morrow?"

My mother's furniture!" said Isabella, affecting astonishment, "what am I to understand by that expression?"

"The furniture of my mother's apartments," said Clarissa.

"And do you not know," said Isabella, "that, by my father's will, it is to be understood that all the household furniture, plate, and linen, in this house, became mine as soon as I married? And there is no clause which I know of which reserves any articles of this kind for my mother."

"But do you not know, sister," said the astonished Clarissa, "that there are certain articles of furniture in my mother's apartments which she has been accustomed