for taking it-yet some of us thought it main hard, that while so many of his own flesh and blood were in a starving condition, all this store of wealth should go to one who had enough of his own.

"But, whilst his own relations left him to starve, had he not been supported by Mr. Darnley's bounty?" said Mr. Denbeigh.

"Aye, that is true," said the peasant: "but, as old Sam Grub of the Mill says, if any one of us had a-known of his wealth, we would all have been as kind to him as the 'Squire."

"Mr. Darnley ought certainly to have made some present to the old man's relations," said Mr. Denbeigh. "Aye, Sir, I thought he might ha' given some small thing among us," said the peasant; "but never could have imagined, that he would have behaved in the way he did."

"Go on," said Mr. Douglas, knitting his brows.

The cheek of Emma grew pale: she took up her needle, but remained in the attitude of attention, while the peasant proceeded.

"You must know, Sir, that after having had a long confabulation with the Sexton, who is himself a Grub, the first thing the 'Squire did, was to send for all the Grubs in the parish, man and woman, to come to the funeral. Some of us were so much stomached, that we did not much like to go. But, says I, though Benjamin has been unnatural to us, that is no reason that we should be unnatural to him. So we all went yester day morning, at the hour appointed, and found all things prepared for the funeraland a gallant funeral it was; it would have done good to the heart of any of his friends to have seen it. When we returned from the church-yard, Mr. Darnley, who was himself chief mourner, desired us all to go back with him to Ben's Cottage, where wine was poured out for us by Mr. Darnley's butler, who is himself a very grand gentleman.When we had drank a glass, Mr. Darnley got up and said My friends,' says he, 'I hope none of you will have any cause to repent the choice made by your kinsman of

We all cried out with

a trustee, for the distribution of his property, for I cannot look upon his Will in any other light. Here are twenty of you present. Ten grand-children of his brothers, and as many descendants from his Uncles. To the first I have alloted ten guineas each, to the latter five, which disposes of the whole hundred and fifty found in his possessionand I hope it is a division with which you will all be satisfied.' one voice, that his honour was too good! too generous! that he should, at least, keep one half to himself. God forbid!' said he, that I should take a farthing, that my conscience told me, was the property of another-And he looked so pleased, and so good humoured! and we were all so astounded with delight! for your honour must know, that ten guineas to a poor man, is a mighty sum! Ah! your honour can have no notion what it is, when a man has been working from hand to mouth, now scrambling to get out of debt, and then falling back

into poverty --what it is to be at once, as I may say, set above the world!"

The eyes of Emma glistened with delight, and the sweet tint of the opening rose-bud again mantled over her lovely cheek.-The peasant continued—

"Well, Sir, we were scarcely come to our senses, as I may say, when Farmer Stubble's cart came to the door, with old Martha Grub, who kept the penny-school on the Green Common, and who broke her leg last year on going up to the henroost. We had every one of us forgotten old Martha, but were all willing to club her share.

No, no,' said the 'squire; you must all keep what you have got, it was my fault, for not being better informed; but Martha shall be no loser, said he; I will give her five guineas out of my own pocket!'-Who would have thought he would have behaved in such a manner ?"

"It was indeed acting very handsomely," said Mr. Denbeigh.

"Noble, generous Darnley !" said Emma. "It is just what I would have expected from him!"

The old man took his leave." And pray," says my friend, as soon as he was gone, "who is Mr. Darnley? Is it he whom I well remember breaking down your fences, in following his fox hounds?" "No, no,” returned Mr. Denbeigh, "that was the elder brother of this Darnley, who was then, in obedience to the will of his father, preparing for the Bar. He was, as you have just heard, too fond of Justice, to be very partial to the practice of the law; and on the death of that elder brother, who broke his neck one morning in hunting, he came down to Darnley-Lodge, where he has ever since resided.

"He was soon discovered to be a very strange, whimsical sort of a creature, by the neighbouring 'Squires.-The sufferings of a poor timorous animal, harassed by fatigue, and tortured by the agonizing sensations of excessive fear, were not necessary for his