“All right--all right,” chuckled Charley to himself as he sprang down, taking a flight at each bound; “this is some fellow that she used to care for before she saw me; and now, to have every thing fair and straight, the gipsy has sent him his dismissal in form. Poor devil! he seems disposed to take it to heart very much. Right--right! Best to be off with the old love before you be on with the new, as the song says. I declare I like her the better for it; and to save the poor fellow’s feelings, she never even hinted to me what the letter was about.” And laying this flattering unction to his soul, he went about his business in the best of good humour with himself and all the world besides. “Well, Charley,” said Lucy to him on his return to the country, “I know beforehand you forgot all about my letter; so give it back to me, if you have not lost it. I should not like my billet-doux to remain with the rest of your good intentions; give it back to me now, like a good fellow, and I’ll forgive you. It’s not your fault, but your misfortune.” “I am happy to tell you,” answered he, “that all your forebodings have proved groundless; and I’m sure, Lucy, that, giddy and careless as you may pretend to be, it will give you satisfaction to know that I perfectly approve of your conduct.” Lucy, a little puzzled by this gratifying intimation, received it in silence, making a low curtsey in reply, as in duty bound. “Yes, Lucy,” continued he, “it has made you dearer than ever to me.” “Will you allow me to ask you one question, Mr Charles Malone?” demanded the puzzled lady, “and pray be intelligible if possible in your reply. Did you put my letter in the penny-post?” “No.” “I thought as much--and pray what have you done with it?” “You will understand all my allusions,” replied Charley tenderly, “when I tell you I delivered it myself into the hands of this Mr Fitzgerald.” “What! but he didn’t know who you were, did he?” exclaimed she, in utter dismay. “I rather think he guessed,” was the sly reply: “and from the manner in which he spoke of you, I was able to guess something too; but you needn’t blush now; we’ll say no more about it. Such things will occur in the best regulated families.” “Spoke of me!” said Lucy, in a low and frightened tone; “and had you the assurance to mention my name?” “Why, why not? I hope there was nothing particular in the letter. I thought”---- “Oh, you odious blundering wretch!” she exclaimed, interrupting him, and bursting into tears; “it was nothing but an innocent, harmless valentine; and now look at all the mischief you have put into it.”