G08 
Atthe time that Lady Riversdale ad- 
dressed her letter to the colonel, Louisa 
was confined to her bed at Paris, in so 
dangerous a state of illness, that it was 
not even thought prudent to indulge her 
with the perusal of any letters which 
were sent to her; of course she was un- 
able to answer any. Colonel Malcolm 
considered her silence as a confirmation 
of the mortifying intelligence he had re- 
ceived from Lady Riversdale, to which, 
therefore, he now returned an -.answer, 
releasing Louisa from an engagement 
which appeared to her so pregnant with 
wretchedness. At the same time he ad- 
dresses a letter to Lady Mary Melville, 
complaining of the treatment he had re- 
ceived, and expressing his regret that he 
bad not been more sensible of the honour 
done him by her partiality, at a time 
when it offered a prospect of the steady 
and unalloyed satisfaction for which a 
rational man ought alone to look in a 
matrimonial connection. He states that 
rejected, cast off, as he now is, it would 
be an insult to court her acceptance of 
his hand, intimating, however, at the 
same time, that the slightest encourage- 
ment would bring him to her feet. Lady 
_ Mary immediately writes to Miss Ri+ 
versdale for an explanation of the mys- 
tery: the favourable impresston which 
Colonel Malcolm had made on her heart 
is indelible ; but she has too high a sense 
of honour to accept of his hand, with- 
out previously informing herself from 
Louisa’s pen, of the circumstances of 
the case. The same illness, however, 
which incapacitates Louisa from answer- 
ing the colonel, incapacitates her from 
answering Lady Mary, who draws a 
similar inference from her silence; and 
is prompted to return a flattering answer 
to the long-lost object of her affections, 
telling. him that if his proposal is not 
solely dictated by anger ewe Miss 
Riversdale, but really urises from a wish 
to pass his life with a woman, whose 
every thought will be subservient to his 
pleasure, she is ready to convince him 
that her affection is of that gencrous 
sort which only seeks the happiness of its 
object, and that he may command her 
hand whenever he pleases to call for it. 
It must be acknowledged that thegod 
of silence is not cailed in here to ac- 
complish a difficulty unworthy of his in- 
terférence. The author, indeed, must 
have beena good deal puzzled to get 
Louisa out of the scrape, and tie the 
ROMANCES AND NOVELS. 
hands of the colonel before he had re- 
course toso singular a corresponce as that 
which produced the present happy ex- 
trication. We consider this as one of the 
clumsiest manceuvres in the novel; it 
has 2 number of excellencies, but is not 
without faults, some of which we shall 
notice as we proceed. 
After a very lingering illness, Louisa 
at length recovers, and Boes into com- 
pany ; this gives the author an opportu- 
nity of shewing his intimacy with Pari- 
siau manners and characters, which in- 
deed are sketched with a very skilful 
hand: he is master of colloquial French, 
and seems to be versed in the idiomatic 
niceties of the language. The conver- 
sations with which the novel abounds are 
extremely characteristic : as the subject 
of the following, which takes placeat the 
English ambassador’s hotel, is generally 
interesting, we shall give it as a specie 
men: 
«* At dinner the conversation was uncom- 
moniy brilliant, chiefly supported between 
the Marchioness and Mr. Stanvyille; she 
speaking French, he English. Wit sparkled 
ou both sides, but I thought a great deal of 
what Madame de Stanville said borrowed its 
prettiness from the Janguage in which it was 
spoken ; while Mr. Stanville lent a grace to 
his expresions, of which I was not aware 
the English language was susceptible. His 
selection of words is very striking 5 for, with- 
out the sinallest degree of pedantry, he says 
the very commonest things in the very best 
possible manner, and seems indeed, as you 
say, to have a turn of thought peculiarly 
his own. 
«The tone of his voice appeared to me 
also singularly pleasing. I should think 
his persuasion would be irresistible—what 
influence must his oratory derive from this 
in the house of commons ! Did you ever hear 
him speak, Henry? 
«©The conversation at one time took a 
political turn, and Madame de Sainyal hay- 
ing expressed a curiosity, in regard tothe 
different merits of some of the most admired 
speakers ; Sir George said, that Lord N "3 
fort seemed to lie in the clearness of his 
financial statements, and the simplicity of 
his arguments, never weakening their force 
by superfluous declamation. 
«* Add to this his extraordinay self-pos- 
session, and peculiar felicity in warding off 
the scurnlous invective with which*he is 
frequently attacked,” said Mr Stanville, «1 
ean often fancy I see his guardian angel 
serched upon his shoulder, and whispering 
in his ear the best possible reply upon every 
occasion. ‘Then, his pleasantry so concl- 
liating 5 his ridicule enlivening, without irri- 
tating the house—the very objects of it join- 
