clue, she tormented herself with conjuring up successive phantoms of evil, and at last concluded that some rival was endeavouring to part her and her beloved Hamilton. Of the Countess of Cockatrice she knew nothing as a rival.--Louisa Primrose, she was well assured, was fondly attached to Hamilton, yet she appeared a very amiable girl; could such be guilty of suborning calumny? This idea she dismissed as illiberal and unjust; but was the more distressed that she could find no other to substitute in its place. After a sleepless night she rose early, and telling her servant she was going to call on Charlotte Hamilton, with whom she often walked before breakfast, she went out. Although it was hardly seven o’clock when she arrived at Mrs. Hamilton’s, she found that William had gone out at six, and had come back about half an hour after in a very great _fluster_, as the servant expressed it, had gone up stairs, and after staying some time was just gone out again. Charlotte presently joined her, and the maid coming to arrange the room in which they were, they moved into Hamilton’s library; there Charlotte happening accidentally to cast her eyes to the place where her brother’s pistols used to hang, perceived that the cases were empty, and without consideration remarked the circumstance to Maria. Miss Mortimer was extremely alarmed; remembering he had mentioned his intention of seeing Sir Edward early in the morning, they immediately concluded that William was engaged in some dangerous quarrel, in which his friend was to be his second; no time was to be lost; a coach was ordered immediately, and directed to drive with all speed to Sir Edward’s. It had reached the corner of Portland Street, where Maria eagerly exclaimed, “Mr. Hamilton.” William instantly joined them, and perceived the terrified countenance of both; they informed him of the cause of their alarms. He assured them that it was totally groundless; that he was on his way home to wait for Sir Edward, who would be with him in half an hour; and after giving orders to the coachman, reflecting that they might hear of the slanders from some other person, he resolved and promised to inform them as soon as he was at home. Accordingly he told them of the paragraphs he had seen the preceding day, and added that as he was repairing early that morning to the house of Sir Edward, he had seen several papers, two of which contained most infamous insinuations, and one an advertisement worse than the rest. In his anger he had determined to pistol the fabricator; but his friend Sir Edward had fully convinced him of the impropriety of such a proceeding, and that a resolute coolness only could effectually investigate the villainy, and bring its authors to condign punishment. By this time Mrs. Hamilton was up and breakfast was prepared, and while they were informing her of what had happened, and she making the comments of honour and rectitude upon