Rogers of ours writhed uneasily in his seat. "I'll tell you what it is, my fine fellows," said he, "I don't look upon this quite as a laughing matter. I am really sorry to have taken in the old woman, though I don't see how we could well have helped it; and I would far rather, Jack, that she had fixed her affections upon you than on me. I shall get infernally roasted at the mess if this story should transpire. However, I suppose there's only one answer to be given. Pray, present my most humble respects, and say how exceedingly distressed I feel that my professional engagements will not permit me to accompany her in her proposed expedition." Jack reported the answer in due form. "Then," said Lavinia, drawing herself up to her full height, and shrouding her visage in a black veil, "tell him that for his sake I am resolved to die a virgin!" I presume she will keep her word; at least I have not yet heard that any one has been courageous enough to request her to change her situation. She has since returned to America, and is now, I believe, the president of a female college, the students of which may be distinguished from the rest of their sex, by their uniform adoption of bloomers. _Printed by William Blackwood & Sons, Edinburgh._ * * * * * Transcriber's note: Mismatched quotes are not fixed if it's not sufficiently clear where the missing quote should be placed. The cover for the eBook version of this book was created by the transcriber and is placed in the public domain. Minor typographical errors have been corrected without note. Irregularities and inconsistencies in the text have been retained as printed, ecept for the following: The transcriber has made accents consistent for "Schaïgië" and "Schaïgië's". Page 328: "But he must cease to be Mr Ruskin if they ..." The transcriber has inserted "be". End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Vol. 70, No. 431, September 1851, by Various