The Lady Muriel.

say something about Muriel to himself as he bid us a hasty adieu , and hurried out into the Rue St . Honore . He was going off to Baden in the morning , he remarked ; might he hope to see us again , if not there , at least in England some day 1

" Come to us at AVeston , " I said . " We shall always have a knife and fork and a spare room at your disposal . " And so we parted , after a three weeks ' pleasant acquaintance in Paris . His address was his club , he told us the

" Travellers ' , " and I found out afterwards that he was numbered amongst the savans . Blest with apparently ample means ; a life of leisure ; following no occupation or profession ; and wandering over Europe iu search of happiness , peace and pleasure , what had that man to wish for ? AVhy was he so imbued with melancholy . And who was Muriel 1

CHAPTER II . IPSWICH . —A CONFESSION . Last summer I had a letter from Falconbridge , in which he said he had taken

a charming house in the environs of Ipswich , with pleasant grounds and a lovely riew of the river Orwell . His only relative— -an old aunt , Mrs . Vaux , whose husband , an army surgeon , had recently died , leaving her very poorly provided

for—had come to keep the house for him , and he was preparing a home for his ward , who was coming home from school in Germany in the autumn , the climate not suiting her . The letter ended by expressing a hope that my wife and I would go

and spend a month with them , as he was particularly anxious that we should make the acquaintance of Ihe young lady . Airs . Beverley was unable to leave home just then , having only recently recovered from a severe illness ; but I had beeu

overworked in the office . My partner in the firm ( of Beverley , Marten , and Co ., exporters ) had been a long business tour ou the Continent , leaving me to conduct affairs at home ; so my wife urged me to go , as I needed change aud rest , and I was very glad to accept my friends' hospitality . Leaving Mildred in charge of my two

fair cousins , Mary and Sophy Grey , at Weston , I took a tourist ticket for Harwich , and from thence made my way to Ipswich by one of the steamers which ply daily on the beautiful river . It was a lovely September morning when we left the landing stage at Harwich

and steamed out into the noble estuary and confluence of the Stour and Orwellthe two fine rivers joining here and flowing into the sea . As we proceeded I was struck by the pleasing effect produced b y the graceful curves in the river , with its

verdant sloping banks , covered with fine trees . As one approaches Ipswich , these banks assume the dignity of hills , with handsome mansions , and a picturesque tower or church peeping out here and there from amongst the foliage . Fancy a scene like this—seagulls flying hither and thither , uttering their shrill notes ; a

heron stalking amongst the mud islets in search of food ; a covey of wild ducks sweeping over the water close to its surface ; a yacht belonging to some noble owner at its anchorage near , with fishing craft coming in from sea ; a merchantman sailing majestically byladen with

, corn from the Danube ; pleasure boats and fishing parties in plenty , and the bells of St . Mary le Tower ringing out a merry peal , which comes sweetly over the water ; aud you will not wonder that I was enchanted with these sights and sounds , the

ever-varying evidences of life , joy , and beauty . We make the last bend of the river , whose serpentine course is one of its chief attractions , and as we come up get a first sight of the ancient and interesting town , lying in the hollow of a basin , its streets meandering irregularly up the gentle acclivities ivhich pass for hills in Suffolk .

AVindmills here and there crown the summits , which are covered in some parts with fine plantations ; elegant villas are seen amid the trees ; a crowd of churches , some of them of stately proportions , with their battlemented towers rising from the midst of the quaint gabled roofs of the

old houses ; and the grand Town Hall , with its lofty and beautiful clock tower , are amongst the most prominent features of the town . The elegant spire of St . Mary le Tower rises conspicuous amongst the rest . There is also a fine . Custom