hysteric shriek.

Lord Spoonbill was not so lost to all feeling of humanity as to be
insensible to the anguish of mind which she now suffered, who had once
regarded him as a friend, and had loved him, "not wisely, but too well."
He held out his hand to her with an unpremeditated look of kindness and
affection; and which, being unpremeditated, bore the aspect of sincerity.
The stranger at first hesitated, and seemed not disposed to accept the
offered hand; but she looked up in his face, and the blood mounted to her
cheeks and the tears stood in her eyes, and she gave him her hand, and
covered her face and wept bitterly.

There are moments in which shameless profligates look foolish and feel
that they are contemptible. This was such a moment to Lord Spoonbill. He
was moved, and he was mortified that he was moved; and there was a general
feeling of confusion and perplexity in his mind. What could he say? or how
could he act? He began to stammer out something like gentleness, and
something like reproof. But she who stood before him was as an accusing
spirit, to whom apology was mockery, and repentance too late.

In the first volume too, there is a successful satire on the changes of
sixteen years in the condition of the people of England--between Mr.
Primrose, who had been absent for that period, and the egregious Peter
Kipperson. It is quite in the _forte_ of the writer, and we regret that we
have not room to quote it at full length.

Such are the only specimens which our limits enable us to present to the
reader; but we hope they will be sufficient to induce him to turn to the
work itself--and we doubt not--for his further gratification. Digressions
occur too frequently to suit the pioneering taste of a certain class of