much fondness; and on one particular day, which she had noted in her pocket-book, and would swear to before any justice in the kingdom, that she distinctly saw the fragile girl throw her arms about the young fellow's neck, and recline her head upon his shoulder for several minutes, while he with one arm round her waist appeared to be also embracing her with the other.

Now, taking it cum grano salis, there was nothing in all this that might not, as it frequently does, happen between such near and dear connections, in the overflowings of spotless affection, when excited by mutual affection or even by unusual joy: but the world is notoriously fond of scandal.

Still, as this scandal did not reach much beyond the limits of the street, and, where it did, only provoked curiosity and inquiry respecting the beautiful and almost invisible girl who principally caused it, the young silversmith did not find his shop at all neglected. His tasty and elegant display caught every eye; and, above all things else, in the very centre of one of his windows, was displayed a silver cup of such elaborate and superb carving as fixed the attention of every connoisseur, and every aspirer to that knowing name. Many entered the shop to examine this surprising work of art,

"Some with real intent to buy,

But many more to satisfy
Their idle curiosity."

The gem remained, however, in the shop-window; as may be imagined, hundreds who viewed and admired this fine specimen of metallic sculpture never thought of intruding themselves on the owner in order to solicit a nearer and closer examination, not having the remotest intention or notion of becoming purchasers; but it so happened that a day never passed without one or two, and at last three or four, and at certain hours a little crowd gathering, and becoming for some time stationary, round that particular window, to take a peep at this little work, which was somehow gaining a daily reputation, and becoming to a certain extent an object of admiration and interest to all the virtuosi. But nobody bought it. The Prince of Wales, afterwards George IV., heard of this treasure, and desired to see it at Carlton House. The answer was the humble duty and respects of the owner; but, highly honoured as he felt, he could not suffer the cup to leave his house even for an hour. His royal highness, it was said, was indignant at first, but curiosity superseded his natural anger. He went incog. with M'Mahon to Silverthong's shop, examined, admired, and departed, and the cup was still seen the next minute after he quitted the house on its usual stand in the window-he had not bought it.

At last Silverthong observed that one day a gentleman of altogether a striking appearance was gazing, with an interest which partook of agitation, at his admired treasure. He saw him next start back from his station at the window to the very kerb of the pavement, and fix his eyes with surprise and some degree of emotion on the superscription above his door. He next drew his broad hat over his eyes, as if to shut out some disagreeable object, and darted with alacrity across the street, and then, with one more lingering look towards the house, presently disappeared.

This was remarkable, and could not fail to excite surprise; but our

silversmith set it down for an instance of mere eccentricity, and thought of it that day no more.

The following morning, however, early, and before the bustle of Bond Street began, our young trader observed the self-same stranger at his window; he could not be mistaken either in his countenance, his dress, or his manner, all of which were equally observable. He saw him make sundry grimaces whilst examining the cup; he saw him refer as it were to a large cane which he carried in his hand, on which appeared a magnificent ivory head, of apparently curious carving; he saw him again retreat to the kerb, and with half-closed eyes again decipher the name above the door, and the next minute saw him touch the handle of the lock, which, though easy enough to open, appeared to resist his efforts from the extreme agitation with which he endeavoured to turn it. The young man sprang over the counter in an instant, and opened the door to admit the stranger. "Good," said the stranger, staring wildly in his face; but he did not stare long, as if sensible that he was appearing in rather an "antic mood," he presently removed his gaze, which instantly fell on a rather peculiar high-backed, but very comfortable chair, which the silversmith had placed there for the superior accommodation of superior customers. On this object his eyes were riveted for a full minute; then, after a long and deep-drawn sigh, he half audibly muttered, "Yes, by G-," and then threw himself back into the special chair as if he knew it fitted him exactly. Now, there is no harm whatever in a young tradesman's speculating on the character of a new customer; for as such he considered his present visitor.

Thought is an active faculty, and in far less time than we are telling it in, the fancy crossed his mind that this respectable-looking gentleman was a shop-lifter, who, as he had already observed, had a particular eye to his splendid, and apparently to many, unsaleable cup. There were no policemen in those days, so he turned his thoughts to the nearest constable, and gave a secret, but well-understood signal for John Torrid, his before alluded to assistant, to be in attendance within call.

This precautionary thought and measure was scarcely accomplished before the strange gentleman observed in a very winnowing sort of tone, "You've a very odd name, young gentleman; for I suppose you are the master of the house?"

"I am, sir," was the reply.

"And your name, sir. It is peculiar," said the stranger.

"It is, sir; the last, I believe, remaining of an old stock," said the young respondent.

"Indeed! I suppose it would be called impertinent to ask the name of your father," inquired the middle-aged gentleman.

A deep blush passed over the young man's cheeks, but it was unnoticed. "A son generally inherits his father's name, of course, sir," answered rather touchily the silversmith, after a moment's pause.

"No doubt no doubt, sir," was the reply rather vehemently. Just at this moment there was the rustle of a chain, and a sort of half growl, half whine, heard at the back of the shop.

"Mind, boy," cried the young man, and all was still. "You have a curious cup in your window; may

I examine it?"

"Certainly, sir." And he placed it carefully before him.

The middle-aged gentleman turned it from one side to another, examined every part, and every figure; passed his thumb nail round the

edge of the lip, and at last turned it upside down and examined the unmeaning and undecorated bottom of the cup. This done, he placed it again on the counter, with rather a dainty carefulness, again ejaculating (but sotto voce), "Yes, by G-," then added, "you know the value of this cup, I suppose?"

"I do, sir.'

"You know it to be a master-piece of the great-" "Benvenuto Cellini, sir.”

"Good: what is your price?"

"It is not for sale, sir."

"Not for sale! You have an article in your shop window, and not for sale !"

"Yes, sir. I place it there to attract attention, as it has done yours." "Indeed!—this is a strange mode of doing business; I am not sure that it is quite honest to lure a customer into your shop in order to disappoint him."

"Excuse me, sir, nothing can be more common. You see in this window part of a service of plate which I am making to order for Lord E. It is exhibited to attract attention, but of course could not be sold to another."

"That is a different affair altogether. Here you display a gem in your public shop; I see it and desire to purchase it. Come, sir, name your own price, and the cup is mine."

"Excuse me, sir; the wealth of worlds would not purchase it."

"And may a stranger without offence inquire how it came into your possession?"

"The question is indeed singular, but not offensive;-still, to a stranger, I decline to answer it."

"Indeed! This cup must have been stolen, sir!"

"You do not mean to say stolen by me, sir ?"

"By no means, young gentleman; there is that in your manner and appearance which precludes any such suspicion, and independently of the fact of your having publicly exhibited it; but it must have been stolen before it came into your possession; and I therefore again ask from whom you purchased it?"

"I never purchased it at all, sir."

"I see- -I see; a present."

"By no means, sir."

"Good God! there is some mystery in all this.—Oh! I have it now, -how absurd! it is not your property."

"No other person on earth can lay claim to it, unless it be my sister." "You have a sister?-so I heard, indeed. Well, young gentleman, you think me a whimsical sort of person, I dare say; perhaps I am; and one of my whims is to be better acquainted with you and your mysterious cup. Come, once more to tempt you-will its weight in gold-"

Silverthong smiled and shook his head.

"I'll double that, and leave you till to-morrow to consider my offer." During this short conversation the dog had continued to evince continual signs of uneasiness; listening awhile with a low growl at intervals, then darting from his bed under the stairs to the extremity of his chain, apparently watching what was going on; and then returning with a suppressed whine to his rug; but now, when the stranger rose to de

part, the dog sprang forth with a violence that threatened the security of his heavy chain, and set up a howl so loud and piercing, that the middle-aged gentleman could no longer disregard it; indeed, it startled him; and when he turned to observe the animal, who in the midst of his yell had reared upon his hind legs, while his fore paws were in rapid action, as if in the effort to get at him, he became fixed to the spot for a few seconds. Presently he made three or four strides towards the ferocious animal, when Silverthong vehemently exclaimed, "For God sake don't go near him!"

The stranger advanced notwithstanding, murmuring in an under-tone, "What, Mufti ?" and in one moment the dog was crouching at his feet, in the next with his paws upon his shoulders, trying to lick his face; in another, seeming as if he would devour his hand in ecstasy, and all the time uttering that peculiar cry of happiness and recognition for which that sagacious and faithful animal is so remarkable. Young Silverthong witnessed this scene in motionless terror, and literally unutterable astonishment.

The stranger having caressed the fine brute for a minute or two, took his head between his hands, and raising it to a level with his own, gazed on him with affection for another minute, again emphatically repeated the words " Yes, by G-!" then fixing his dark eyes for a moment on the countenance of the young man, with a peculiar and remarkable expression, nodded his head significantly, and merely saying, "Till to-morrow," immediately left the house. He had not departed many minutes before Silverthong called John Torrid, who made his appearance from the kitchen stairs, where he had been keeping watch and ward during the whole of the past scene. His master was instantly struck by his altered countenance; he was pale as his shirt, his robust limbs seemed scarcely able to sustain his hody, and his hands trembled as if in an access of the ague.

66

Why, John, what ails you?" said his young master.

"Me, sir! nothing, that I know of, only I felt rather queer and faint just now," replied the assistant.

"You are evidently ill," observed the master;

my sister will give you something to set you right."

go up stairs, and

"Oh, thank you, sir," answered John; "but no need of that, I'm better now-now he's quiet."

"Quiet," resumed his master; "now who 's quiet ?"

"The dog, sir; the dog. Those creatures have ways with them that no mortal man can understand-and so has Providence. things that are not; at least things that are not for us to see.

know that gentleman who was here, sir ?"

They see Did you

"No, John; but, to my great surprise, the dog appeared to know him well. No doubt, some old acquaintance abroad."

"Not so, not so," said John, shaking his head mysteriously. "He never let anybody go near him but myself and his former master, that I told you of; and him you know I saw drowned, and dead, with my own eyes."

The conversation was here interrupted by the entrance of a customer, and John Torrid, a little recovered, disappeared directly.

THE JESUITS:*

THEIR PAST AND PRESENT CONDITION.

BY ORMERO LE WATTE.

We would certainly impute no blame to foreign nations for ridding themselves of whatever they found, from years and experience, to be little else than an intolerable nuisance and a moral pestilence; but we must say that it says worse than a little for our taste and discernment that we should receive in our houses, or even welcome to our shores, what other people have so lately cast from them with unconcealed loathing and abhorrence.

We know not that cargoes of living locusts are contraband at our Custom House, or whether they would or would not be admitted upon payment of some duty, but we are quite sure that cargoes of living Jesuits are contraband altogether; and we have little doubt that, if the law was enforced, the ship that was found smuggling them into the country would be forfeited to the crown, and the crews be subject to imprisonment.

Be this as it may, it is high time to observe that, outcasts as they are from nearly the whole of Europe, the Jesuits are coming in swarms to England; and they are coming here, because the whole world besides is heartily tired of them-because those who know them best dislike them most because Swiss, and Germans, and Italians find them an evil that the utmost patience can no longer endure; everywhere loathed or hated, scorned and suspected, after having been contemptuously and hurriedly driven out of Vienna and Fribourg, Genoa and Rome, they are wending their way in troops to our land to do here, doubtless, as they have done elsewhere, and to receive, on some future, and, perhaps, not distant day, a like treatment at our hands. And their coming here is to be prepared for exactly as we should prepare for the coming of a swarm of locusts from the Sahara. It very highly interests us to know upon what part of the kingdom they will first alight; whose fruits of the earth they will first devour; whose hearths they will first make desolate; whose homesteads they will first defile with their numberless impurities; whose domestic peace they will first destroy, and whose eternal happiness they will first endanger; and, exposed as we all alike are to their ruinous visitation, it is really high time that we all alike knew something certain of their usual habits and doings, that we might use such means and guards as are in our power for our own preservation; that we might protect ourselves, as we are best able, against this once clever and crafty race whom we may well believe, from all their known past proceedings in other countries, to be coming here with the earnest hope, and the most decided purpose, to lay waste our heritage-to overthrow our sanctuaries-to pollute our temples-to despoil us of our privileges to bring us into bondage to Rome-to force upon us the mummeries of mass worship-to wring from us our beautiful liturgy—and as far as force and subtlety can effect it, our earthly possessions.

"A History of the Jesuits, from the Foundation of their Society by Pope Paul III., to its Suppression by Pope Clement; their Missions throughout the World; with their Revival and Present State." By Andrew Steinmetz. 3 vols. 8vo, with portrait, &c.