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he suddenly slipt upon one of her fingers a superb diamond ring, which he took off from one of bis own.

"It is very beautiful, My Lord;" said she, deeply blushing; yet looking at it as if she supposed he meant merely to call for her admiration, and returning it to him immediately.

"What's this?" cried he: "Won't you wear such a bauble for my sake?

Give me but a lock of your lovely hair, and I will make myself one to replace it."

He tried to put the ring again on her finger; but, forcibly breaking from him, she would have left the room: he intercepted her passage to the door. She turned round to ring the bell: he placed himself again in her way, with a flushed air of sportiveness, yet of determined opposition.

Confounded, speechless, she went to one of the windows, and standing with her back to it, looked at him with an undisguised amazement, that she hoped