ing his hand to the duke, who merely bowed, and appeared not to notice the extended hand-" most happy to have this honour, I assure your grace. Will your grace take a seat?"

"Will you do me the pleasure of presenting me to these ladies?" said the duke, stiffly.

"Of course, your grace," said Julius, growing more confused. "I beg your grace's pardon. My two daughters -I've only two daughters-but I've three sons in Birmingham. Your grace, perhaps, knows Birmingham-capital razors made in Bir”

"We will not talk of razors before the ladies," said the duke, seating himself by 'Rina.

"They won't mind it a bit; they"

"I am delighted to have the opportunity of making your acquaintance," said the noble visitor, addressing 'Rina in a low tone. "How kind of you to grant me this felicity."

She slightly inclined her head; and he proceeded to make inquiries respecting her health, her professional duties, and the members of Mr. Trenmore's company, in whom he seemed to take a particular interest.

Julius at first endeavoured to edge in a word now and then, but the duke's easy manners discomposed and confounded him; therefore he was forced, somewhat unwillingly, to content himself with listening to his grace's questions, and in fidgetting about 'Rina's replies, which were always, in his opinion, quite correct-the very words which he himself would have used. He was astonished at her collectedness-why she talked to the duke as if he were a nobody; and little Clo', too, she wasn't a bit fluttered, but conversed in a steady, quiet tone, as if, through all her life, she had been accustomed to the society of the great. This was very wonderful to Julius, and for awhile almost beyond his comprehension. At last, however, he arrived at a conclusion: this admirable behaviour on the part of his daughters was the result of the very excellent mode in which he had reared and educated them.

The duke was more charmed than ever; for 'Rina's beauty bore investigation. The varied expression of her face, together with her sweet voice and soft manners, ren

dered her an attractive and winning companion. Before taking his leave the duke requested permission to repeat his visit to Mornington Road.

Julius, though flattered by the attention of a man of rank, was nevertheless ill at ease respecting the duke's intentions towards 'Rina. He did not quite understand how he ought to act under such conflicting honours and duties; however, he would question his grace about his designs when next they met.

Tedious it were to tell all the pretty nothings said by his grace, and all the answers to those nothings; suffice it to state, that the duke stepped into his carriage with changed feelings. Yes, he was in love-head over ears in love-a lamentable case, I ween, when a man has passed his fiftieth year; but

"When age is in, the wit is out."

In a few days various reports, regarding a certain noble duke and a young and beautiful actress, were currently spread abroad. Rumour was hard at work; and foulmouthed slander

"Whose tongue outvenoms all the worms of Nile,
Whose breath rides on the posting wind,
And doth belie all corners of the world,"

was lending her help to blast a maiden's fame.

There is in general no woman in the world more liable to be maligned than the popular actress; for she who is public property, is no longer the guardian of her own reputation. Her actions are watched, criticised, and oftentimes unjustly censured. I have known pure-minded girls who, notwithstanding they were living almost entirely under the roof of a theatre and the constant care of worthy parents, have not been able to escape the viper tongue of calumny. I have also known actresses married to heartless men, for whom they have incessantly toiled-men who have rendered their homes so miserable, that the wives have been compelled to forsake their honourable shelter. I have seen such women support their husbands-even when separated from them-giving them half their hard-earned salaries; and these suffering wives, all guileless of reproach, who could no longer endure a home with husbands who

hourly disgraced and wronged them, were at once vilified and cruelly condemned, because they were actresses. No doubt there are members of the profession, disappointed men and women, who spread exaggerated stories of those more fortunate than themselves, and thus assist the public to many dishes of scandal. Do not suppose, dear reader, that I am setting up a defence for those women who have shamelessly outraged the rules of society; I am simply endeavouring to explain how much falsehood and slander have fallen upon numbers of my professional sisters who have been the victims of

"Smiling pickthanks and base newsmongers."

CHAPTER XXVIII.

THE duke soon became a constant visitor in Mornington Road. A handsome carriage and liveried servants might now often be seen waiting at the door of the actress's lodgings.

Julius had not yet been able to muster courage enough to question the duke respecting his intentions. He discovered that he had a difficult task to perform; for he held his grace in great awe, and in his presence dreaded to touch upon, or even to approach, the subject of his heart's desire. To write to him would be the best plan he could adopt; a few strokes of the pen addressed to the duke, and a reply from his grace would set the father's mind at rest.

'Rina was completely dazzled by the nobleman's wealth and magnificence; she saw and felt how much gold commands, and she began to long for riches and power. Such cravings seemed indeed to have extinguished her former love, and for a while Paul was apparently forgotten.

Clotilda marked the change in 'Rina, and reflected sorrowfully upon the probable consequences of her intimacy with the duke. Clotilda knew her sister's nature to be

1

No

pliant as a reed, ready to take any bend, and that Julius's strong will would find no opposition in 'Rina. Clotilda wished that Paul were near; for she was confident that her sister's affections were still his, and his alone. act on her part could have convinced Clo' to the contrary. ""Rina," thought she, ""Rina is too like my own dear mother to willingly wrong the heart that loves and trusts her. Yet, she will obey our father whatever his behest may be. If she be tempted to covet the duke's wealth and power, and for those will sacrifice herself, it is for our parents' sakes, that she may raise them to comfort and enjoyment from a state of poverty. Yes, 'Rina has ever been unselfish-is so still."

Clo' rightly judged her sister's character and disposition. Naturally amiable and affectionate, for others she thought, and by others she was entirely guided. Julius dinned the topic of the duke into 'Rina's ears day and night. "She must make a great marriage," he said, "it was her duty to do so. Could she be blind to the advantages to be derived from so brilliant a match? She must use all her arts to cage the bird which she had lured."

Such was the father's advice to his daughter. Can we wonder, after this incessant teaching, to find 'Rina changed?

At last Julius wrote to the duke requesting to be informed respecting his grace's intentions towards 'Rina. It was a queer letter, half servile, half impudent; but it answered the purpose intended-it brought about that for which Julius yearned.

The following letter from Clotilda to her mother will best explain what followed :

"DEAREST MAMMA, -I sit with a weighty task before me. I have so much to write about. Prepare yourself, my dear mamma, for a great surprise; I dare not call it happiness. Yesterday, papa wrote to the duke of Lissborough, desiring him to state what his purpose was with reference to 'Rina. Well, three hours after the epistle was despatched, a servant brought his grace's answer to it. Oh, mamma! 'Rina, our dear, our precious 'Rina, is to become the duchess of Lissborough. I thought papa would have gone demented on the receipt of such tidings; he read the letter over and over again, while she sat listening to him with bewildered looks

and white cheeks. I am sure she was thinking of Paul Grahame all the time. Papa talked loudly about the duke's honour, and kept calling him his future son-in-law. I wondered he did not deem it necessary to consult his child's heart concerning the disposal of her hand. Presently the duke's carriage rolled up to our door, and his grace, accompanied by two gentlemen, entered our sitting-room. The duke, with much ceremony, introduced 'Rina to his friends as his intended bride. I was in such a flutter that I missed catching the strangers' titles, and for a while I conversed with our new guests without the slightest notion of their rank or names. At length, one of the gentlemen, addressing me in a low and serious tone, asked what had been my mother's maiden name. I started at the question, and replied, that if he were the duke's lawyer, and wished to know the history of my family I would refer him to my father. He glanced at papa-I thought with some trepidation in his manner-and paid no attention to my reply. After a pause, he again turned to me, and abruptly said, 'Wasn't your father once called Julius Cave?' I answered frankly, 'Yes.' 'Then my dear child,' he said, taking me the hand 'I welcome the daughter of an old and esteemed friend. Your mother--your mother,'-he gasped, 'is she still alive?' 'I thank God, I rejoined, 'my mother is alive.'

"For some few seconds he gazed wistfully into my face; then turning to the other stranger he said, 'Did I not say so, Geoffrey? Was I not right? What is your name, my child?' he continued, again addressing me. 'Clotilda,' I answered. 'Her name was Emma,' he said. I begged to know his name. 'Sir John Craggsbridge,' he replied, and this is Geoffrey Hollingsworth, my nephew, with whom I wish you to become well acquainted.' As I looked up at Mr. Hollingsworth I felt my face flush, for I recognized in him the gentleman whom we had frequentl met in our walks. He looked somewhat embarrassed under my scrutiny, and, in presenting his hand, whispered, 'We are old friends.' I smiled, and observed that I was getting quite confused with so many wonderful discoveries. 'All has come about in so mysterious a manner,' said Sir John; 'Geoffrey and I happened to call upon the duke just as he received your