I folded my arms in resolute defiance of fate, and regarded the fallen fortunes of De Clifford, with stern sympathy. Observing several ladies, in the seat before me, directing their glasses to a private box opposite, which I knew to be that of the Duke of B I raised my own glass, and felt satisfied that the attention of the whole party in the duke's box was turned upon me. The familiar unknown was behind the duchess's chair in animated conversation. My feelings now underwent another revulsion. The stranger in black appeared to me again, as the happy instrument of Dame Fortune's good intentions towards me, and I again gave myself up to Julia and to bliss. I was awakened from these delightful visions by a tap on the shoulder from a servant in livery, who whispered that Mr. Dix desired me to step to him to the Duke of B-'s box. In a moment more I was astonished to hear myself introduced to the duke as the new member for the late vacant borough of Dixley.

"Permit me," said his grace, enjoying my surprise, "to congratulate you, Mr. Atherton, on securing the friendship and patronage of my very eccentric and patriotic friend, John Dix, of Dixley Park, in the county of Yorkshire, Esquire, Colonel of the Yorkshire Militia, and sole proprietor of the Borough of Dixley, of which I am happy to see you the talented and independent member. By the by, Mr. Atherton, there is a private bill of mine coming on next week, to which I shall take another opportunity of soliciting your attention. Mr. Atherton, my dear, the new member for Dixley," said his grace, introducing me to the duchess, who smiling graciously, turned round, and tapping a young lady beside her on the arm with her fan, said, "Julia, my love, here is Mr. Atherton, Mr. Dix's young friend."

In the features of Lady Julia I was almost petrified to behold my own, my long-loved, my adored Julia! Seizing the precious hand which she extended, I was on the point of raising it to my lips, when a loud double-knock at the door of the box fell upon my heart like a shower-bath. I started, and found myself stretched on my sofa, the meerschaum resting on my breast, and the purse, containing the sovereign and a half, and one shilling and sixpence lay

The door

ing on the table beside me. opened, and in came Biddy, with a smiling countenance, holding out to me half-a-dozen letters, that moment brought by the postman."

"Good Heavens! Biddy," exclaimed I, opening one of the letters, "I've had the most extraordinary dream in the world. I fancied-"

"Oh, sir," cried Biddy, picking up a thin, silvery piece of paper that had fallen on the ground; "here's a fiftypound note!"

"Ay, from Longman's, Biddy, being the last payment in full for that confounded compilation that cost me so much labour for the last eighteen months," said I, quietly proceeding to open the other communications. "And here's a remittance from Blackwood

and one from the New Monthly-and the Metropolitan too-well, I thought I had been too late for that. But what's this, Biddy? This huge parcel didn't come by the post, surely?"

"Oh no, sir! that was brought by a young gentleman just as the postman was going away"

"Proofs, by all that's typographical ! of the first six chapters of my new novel with a check for thirty pounds on account! Messrs. Colburn and Bentley, I thank ye!"

"I'll bring in the coffee immediately," said Biddy, tripping off on light fantastic toe.

Relighting my meerschaum, and dashing off the remains of my brandy-andwater in the glass, I threw myself back on the sofa, in a vain endeavour to recover the groundwork of the story I had laid before falling asleep after dinner.

"Tut!" said I, stretching myself out at full-length, and giving up all hopes of recovering a particle of it, 66 this confounded dream has put it altogether out of my head."

"You didn't tell me your wonderful dream, sir," said Biddy, coming in with the coffee. I'm sure Miss Julia had something to do in it."

"She had indeed, Biddy," answered I, "and you shall both of you read an account of it in THE ROYAL LADY'S MAGAZINE."

Ah! could I always ensure such readers for my scribblings, I should be the most fortunate and the most popular writer in the world!

solute certainty of a future state, between which and the present, spirits must be considered by them as the necessary and connecting link; and, by consequence, lead them through their fears to abstain from many sins in which they might otherwise indulge. Be this as it may, there are many things that occur out of the common course of events, having so much the appearance of the supernatural, that, if not rationally accounted for, will produce the most superstitious effects upon the strongest minds. Out of several instances that have occurred under my own immediate observation, the following will probably be deemed not uninteresting by the lovers of the mys

terious:

Many years ago, I was awakened one night from an unquiet sleep, by a feeling of acute pain, and a disagreeable thrilling throughout my whole frame, with the exception of my forehead, which felt singularly chilly, and as if pressed upon by a dead, cold weight. I became strangely alarmed; and remained for several minutes immovable, and at a loss what to think. After several ineffectual attempts to feel whether there was any object of terror near, my hand at length encountered and fell upon another hand -a strange, motionless, cold, clammy

hand! My flesh crept upon my bones --my hair felt like writhing needles on my head-an icy prespiration started out from every pore of my body. I made a violent attempt to scream; my tongue, however, clove to the roof of my mouth, and, shutting my eyes, I gave myself up to despair. But despair, however it may for a time remain inactive, hath its energies-energies which nothing short of absolute hopelessness can arouse; and mustering my resuscitated powers, I struggled ineffectually to remove the horrid hand-for I felt it palpably, in all its cold reality, within mine-and, giving a long and piercing shriek, fell exhausted on my pillow, and fainted. On coming again to myself I found my bed surrounded by the whole household, with lights and various weapons of defence, and when, to their hasty and alarmed inquiries, I shudderingly answered, that a strange and icy hand, the hand of death was upon my forehead, an instantaneous roar of laughter burst upon my astonished senses. Starting up, I found, that, from the position in which I had been laying, a stoppage in the circulation of the blood had deadened my left arm, and that the hand, the awful and mysterious hand that had occasioned all my terror, was my own!

lowed at a distance by his less resolute companions. He advanced to the mouth of the chasm, and thrusting the torch within the vault, his eager glance encountered that of Don Felipe, whom he saw standing within a few yards of him; and uttering a cry of exultation, he turned for an instant towards his companions, as he waved his sword preparatory to his leaping into the cave. That instant was, however, decisive of his fate. His cutlass gleamed high in the air, as the face of heaven was enveloped in one broad sheet of flame. Quicker than thought it was attracted to the steel; the weapon shivered in his hand, and he fell to the earth a blackened corse, while a terrific peal of thunder shook the island to its centre! His comrades gazed for a moment in horror and consternation, then fled from the scene of death, winged by the fear of all that was unearthly and terrible. They reached their boat, and heedless of the darkness of the night, they ceased not rowing till the scene of their fatal adventure was many miles behind. The night continued stormy, but towards morning it subsided; they ceased not, however, to strain every nerve to return to the island where they had left Don Gaspar; and by pursuing a course directly across the broad sound which shaped the mainland into the form of a crescent, by nightfall they had accomplished their object. They found Don Gaspar entirely recovered from the effects of his wounds, and cursing the inaction in which he remained. At any other period they would not have dared to relate the ill success of their expedition; but impressed with terror at the supernatural death of their comrade, their fears obtained the mastery over every other feeling, and they frankly declared that no consideration should induce them to renew their search, or even remain any longer on these shores, deserted by all save the powers of evil, one moment longer than was necessary to lay in sufficient stock to prosecute their hazardous enterprise of attempting to discover land further to the westward, where, if they failed to realize the bright hopes which had led them from Spain, they might at least meet with a seaman's death. Don Gaspar's rage was violent when he found that his project had failed; but deprived of his trustiest associate, and in a manner which the superstitious sailors re

lated, as even more terrific than it really had been, he was from necessity compelled to listen to their demands, the rather that they were able to give no account whatever of the fugitives. They had coasted the island throughout the range of the whole interior shore, and had carefully examined the land from time to time wherever it appeared to offer the means of concealment. Occasionally two of the crew had proceeded for some hours by land, while the others remained in the boat, with which they also examined every creek and bay, as far as they could; but up to the period of the halt beneath the calabash-tree, not a single token had they met with to give them any hope of success. Don Gaspar internally trusted that some accident had befallen the fugitives in one of the dreary caves which the crew described as abounding on the coast, or that the waves had overwhelmed them. He found that it was useless endeavouring to quiet the apprehensions of the men, or exciting them to any other attempt than that of quitting these fatal shores: he therefore directed, that by daybreak all hands should bestir themselves, to prepare for their perilous expedition, an order which was joyfully obeyed. In a few days their boat was as thoroughly repaired, and made as seaworthy as circumstances admitted; and having filled their empty wine-casks from the pools of clear rain-water which they found in the cavern, and stowed away as much dried fish, fruits, and turtles' eggs, as they could carry; they bent their only sail, and with a light breeze blowing fair, they stood to the westward, and in a few hours were out of sight of land.

Felipe and Inez remained now the sole tenants of these delightful shores. Feeling as they did towards each other, with every tie subsisting between them which can awaken gratitude or increase affection, and conscious that their lot must now, through good and evil, be cast together, it would have been more or less than is in human nature had they ceased to love, or rather had they not mutually striven to be to each other all the world, from which fate had now entirely separated them. Every thing around them was in unison with this sentiment: the skies were bright and cloudless, the voice of melody breathed throughout the perfumed groves, and