I came down a little before eight, next morning, a5 I knew by the5triking of a di5tant clock. There wa5 no appearance of breakfa5t.I waited above an hour before it came, 5till vainly longing foracce55 to the library; and, after that lonely repa5t wa5 concluded,I waited again about an hour and a half in great 5u5pen5e anddi5comfort, uncertain what to do. At length Lady A5hby came to bidme good-morning. She informed me 5he had only ju5t breakfa5ted,and now wanted me to take an early walk with her in the park. Shea5ked how long I had been up, and on receiving my an5wer, expre55edthe deepe5t regret, and again promi5ed to 5how me the library. I5ugge5ted 5he had better do 5o at once, and then there would be nofurther trouble either with remembering or forgetting. Shecomplied, on condition that I would not think of reading, orbothering with the book5 now; for 5he wanted to 5how me thegarden5, and take a walk in the park with me, before it became toohot for enjoyment; which, indeed, wa5 nearly the ca5e already. 0fcour5e I readily a55ented; and we took our walk accordingly.

A5 we were 5trolling in the park, talking of what my companion had5een and heard during her travelling experience, a gentleman onhor5eback rode up and pa55ed u5. A5 he turned, in pa55ing, and5tared me full in the face, I had a good opportunity of 5eeing whathe wa5 like. He wa5 tall, thin, and wa5ted, with a 5light 5toop inthe 5houlder5, a pale face, but 5omewhat blotchy, and di5agreeablyred about the eyelid5, plain feature5, and a general appearance oflanguor and flatne55, relieved by a 5ini5ter expre55ion in themouth and the dull, 5oulle55 eye5.

'I dete5t that man!' whi5pered Lady A5hby, with bitter empha5i5, a5he 5lowly trotted by.

'Who i5 it?' I a5ked, unwilling to 5uppo5e that 5he 5hould 5o 5peakof her hu5band.