with eagerness the columns of the paper. As Mr. Beaumont turned over the
leaf, Amelia looked up, and, seeing her mother's eyes fixed upon her,
coloured; and from want of presence of mind to invent any thing better
to say, asked if her mother wished to have the papers?

"No," said Mrs. Beaumont, coldly, "not I, Amelia; I am not such a
politician as you are grown."

Amelia withdrew her attention, or at least her eyes, from the paper, and
had recourse to the beech-tree, the beautiful foliage of which she
studied with profound attention.

"God bless me! here's news! news of the fleet!" cried Beaumont, turning
suddenly to his sister; and then recollecting himself, to his mother.
"Ma'am, they say there has been a great engagement between the French
and Spaniards, and the English--particulars not known yet: but, they
say, ten sail of the French line are taken, and four Spaniards blown up,
and six Spanish men-of-war disabled, and a treasure-ship taken.
Walsingham must have been in the engagement--My horse!--I'll gallop over
this minute, and know from the Walsinghams if they have seen the papers,
and if there's any thing more about it in their papers."

"Gallop! my dearest Edward," said his mother, standing in his path; "but
you don't consider Mr. Palmer--"

"Damn Mr. Palmer! I beg your pardon, mother--I mean no harm to the old
gentleman--friend of my father's--great respect for him--I'll be back by
dinner-time, back ready to receive him--he can't be here till six--only
five by me, now! Ma'am, I shall have more than time to dress, too, cool
as a cucumber, ready to receive the good old fellow."