"' Her name?'

"'Caliver. She's the only daughter and
heiress of General Sir Sampson Caliver—that
proud old military swell she was riding with.
He's a very unpleasant card, I can tell you, and
precious short with everybody but her. They're
in tip-top society, and he wants her to marry a
dook.'

"' What dook?' said I, bewildered. ' I'll tear
her from that dook's arms! I'll—'

"'Don't be an ass,' said Prosser, kindly.
' It's no use, dear old boy. Why, she was
a-quizzing you as she passed! It's that weskit
and cravat. I've often 'inted that you dress too
loud.'

"' Quizzing! . . . . Loud! . . . . Prosser!' I
gasped, 'you don't understand. Lady—princess
—queen—whatever she may be, I love her all the
same. I can't help her station. If she was a
barefooted beggar, I'd marry her, and she
should ride in a charrot of gold. As it is, I shall
love her, secret, for the rest of my life, and leave
my fortune to the dook's second son. For legal
purposes, I desire to know her Christian name.'
I took out my note-book.

"' Gloriana,' said Jack.

"' Glori—' (my trembling fingers almost
refused to write her beautiful name). ' Prosser,'
I continued, ' I want to be alone. Good-bye, old
boy, for the present. We meet to-night, as
usual—half-past nine—Harmonic Hedgehogs.'
And we parted.

"I walked across the Park. It has been said
that, in moments of great excitement, fancy plays
us all manner of tricks, and I wasn't at all
surprised to see, in fiery characters six foot high,
written on the air, 'Approaching Marriage in 'Igh
Life.—We rejoice to learn that a marriage has
been arranged between the lovely and accomplished
daughter of General Sir Sampson Caliver,
G.C.H., K.C.B., and his Grace the Dook of
Ampassy-Etcetera.' Well, may they be blest!
O Gloriana! beautiful phantom! I have seen
you, loved you. From this hour forth you sit,
though you don't know it, enshrined in my heart
of hearts. No vile unworthy thought shall ever
approach your throne—no selfish hope, no vain
desire. Thus only can I be worthy to cherish
your sweet image, to worship you, my fairy queen
—my goddess-bride—my——

"' Hi! hi! there! Hah!' rang in my ears;
and the next moment I was flying, head over
heels, I knew not whither! I suppose I was
unconscious for a moment, for, on recovering, I
found myself on the ground, in the ride, with my
head on somebody's knee, the centre of a large
circle of people, on foot and horseback. A sort
of altercation seemed to be going on.

"' Atrocious carelessness!' ' But he was re-
peatedly called to.' 'Culpable disregard of
human life!' ' Galloping swell—little he
cares,' &c.

"The gentleman has tendered his card and
address, and desired that this person be looked
to,' said one of the horsemen, quietly.

' ' Yes, five shillin's for a cab, and take away
the dead 'un,' growled a bystander. 'Take
t'other into custody, I say. If 't had been one of
us, he'd ha' been in the station-'ouse by now.'

"' You had better ride on with your daughter,
Sir Sampson,' said the quiet voice, ' and let me
look to this.'

"I raised myself with some difficulty. Sir
Sampson, calm and haughty, and Gloriana, pale
and frightened, stood before me in the midst
of the excited mob. I cast one glance upon
her.

"' Hear me,' I said. ' Will you be silent, and
hear me? The fault was mine—solely mine.
This gentleman was in no way to blame. I want
neither his card nor his assistance.'

"' I should think not!" bawled the voice of
Jack Prosser, who, attracted by the hubbub, had
run back to see what was 'up.' 'Assistance?
nothing of the sort! My friend has ten thousand
a year!' shouted Jack, in a voice that might
have been heard at Chariug-cross.

"'Hush! hush! Jack, and get me away,'
I said, faintly; and, with one more glance at
Gloriana, relapsed into insensibility.

"I had received a severe blow on the head,
and was much shaken besides. The doctor
feared concussion of the brain, and kept me very
quiet and low; but I was better on the fourth
day, and was then informed that a servant had
called every day with inquiries, and, on the last
occasion, had left a note. I glanced at the
monogram on the seal, and tore it open:

                                     " 107, Hyde Park-square.

"'Dear Sir. It is with sincere pleasure that
I learn that you have sustained no serious injury
from the accident, occasioned (I must frankly
confess) by my carelessness, but which, with
most gentlemanlike feeling, you attributed to
your own. My daughter unites with me both
in condolence and congratulation. Trusting that
an acquaintance so inauspiciously begun may
ripen into an intercourse of a far more agreeable
character, I remain, dear sir, your faithful
servant,

"' SAMPSON CALIVER.'

"Whoever taught Sir Sampson the delicate
Italian hand in which this note was written,
would have been highly pleased to notice how
well the gallant general had retained, through
all the haste and scramble of military life, the
light, firm touch of youth! He would have
remarked, further, that Sir Sampson preferred a
crow-quill, and scented his pink despatches with
the fragrance of the jessamine. My heart told
me who had written that note, and who had not
objected to write that she wished our acquaint-
ance might improve.

"It did improve, sir. Before I had left my
room, Sir Sampson called on me in person, and
sat for nearly ten minutes, talking very
agreeably. He seemed much struck with the luxury
and elegance of my apartments, and observed