all the strange reports that were current, Lord L. had determined to make the invitation

in person, should he find Fitz-Ullin in a state to accept it.

CHAPTER XI.

"Truth,

Shines on his face, like the plane of the sun!

No darkness travels o'er his brow."

"I HAVE seen Fitz-Ullin," said Lord. L., as he took his seat at the dinner table, where, for this day, sat his daughters only, "and I like him amazingly!" When the servants had retired, he renewed the subject, by saying, "Fitz-Ullin is just what I should have expected from the son of my old friend."

Julia listened in breathless expectation, hoping to hear something of Edmund. Frances understood her thoughts, and watched for an opportunity of putting a judicious question.

"On sending up my name," continued Lord L., "I was instantly admitted. He received me with visible emotion, and said, that had he known of my being in town, he should have waited on me. I told him, of course,

that I had but that moment arrived from Cumberland. He is extremely handsome! very like his mother."

"Did you ask if he knew any thing about Edmund?" enquired Frances. Julia pressed her sister's hand, under shelter of the table.

"Certainly," replied Lord L., " indeed, as soon as I had spoken to him of his father, and made some few preliminary remarks, I opened the subject, by inquiring if he could oblige me

with Captain Montgomery's address.

He

looked somewhat confused, and said, 'Lord L., I am very desirous to have an opportunity of explaining to you the business to which you allude.' 'I have no right to make allusions, my Lord,' I replied; 'but'-and I hesitated, 'newspaper reports are not very satisfactory sources of information; and, it is natural that I should be anxious respecting, my young friend. Indeed, at present, I do not know even where to find him.' You have every right, Lord L.,' he said, 'to make inquiries, and to have them answered; you are, not only, the friend of my father, but you and your family have been, the kind, the generous friends, of poor Montgomery, when he most wanted friends; to you every thing shall be explained. At present I am not quite equal to the task; but permit me to call on you to-morrow morning.' I

begged he would dine with me to-day. He however declined, pleading an engagement which rendered that impossible; but saying, 'that he should be able to get away about ten, (this evening I mean,) when, if I would permit him, he would wait on me, and bring Montgomery with him.' As he said this he smiled, though certainly with no very gay expression; yet, his smiling at all, was quite sufficient to show that there were no mortal wounds, in short, nothing very fatal, or irremediable, in the business.

"It just occurred to me, that I would let them come, without saying any thing of the ball. The surprise was a liberty, which I thought I might take with the son of an old friend. Let me see," added Lord L., considering, "it is now some eight or ten months since his father's death:' yet I feared, from the evident depression on his