nicus and Berton-and looked forward, for one instant, to the splendid scene for which he was preparing he felt that the crisis of his destiny was at hand. The real dignity and power of the Law looked disadvantageously dusky and insignificant beside the captivating splendours of her glaring rival, the Stage. The rubicon was passed. Elmsley inwardly bade adieu to the bar! Even so, when the rashness of inexperienced youth-but the sequel will moralize more eloquently than we can

Scenicus gave Elmsley an order, for that evening, to see Mr. Kean's Othello. That scenic sun was then in its zenith! Elmsley was seated in the dress circle at an early hour. The house was, as usual, crowded to suffocation. The solemn and impressive overture was well adapted to excite the feelings and imaginations of the audience. Elmsley felt his soul swelling with mighty emotions. Did ever law give me such rapture as this? thought he, as the curtain drew up. And when the star of the evening at length appeared-when the breathless silence and suspense of the house, announced that the actor was commencing his most powerful effortwhen the gaze of Elmsley was riveted on the glaring of the tigerly eye-the quivering of the muscles-the fiendish mutterings and gaspings of fury-the writhings of agony and remorse; and when an unexpected display of power, drew down a sudden storm of deafening and long-continued applause; when this, at length, was hushed, and the mellow music of the actor's under-tones -telling of disappointed love of anguish-of remorse-stole searchingly into the heart of every one present, and produced a universal sigh and tear of sympathy:-when, in short, Elmsley saw the prodigious powers of the actor, and their triumphantly successful display-was not such a scene calculated to "wrap him into deep madess?" He left the theatre in a state of excitement bordering on insanity. Miserably tedious was the interval which was to elapse before the arrival of the day fixed for Lord's theatricals. Six times aday did Elmsley recite his part, till

he knew almost every comma: for hours did he sit perseveringly poring over it, in the hope of, at last, discovering a "point." He had procured the dress of his character to be conveyed to his rooms, that he might familiarize himself with the costume

that he might prove it." And, truth requires it to be said, that, many a time more than was necessary, did our student "don his gay vestments"

and stand in all imaginable postures before his mirror! How many times did he so adjust matters, as that a few of his dark curls might stray, with studied negligence, beyond the velvet cincture of his bonnet! He was thus engaged one afternoon, when a gentle tap at his door, which had been left a-jar by his servant, announced an applicant for admission. Without reflecting on his theatrical dress, he hastily exclaimed, "Come in!" and in walked Mr. Quibble-plain, legal, matter-of-fact Mr. Quibble! The astounded lawyer, casting a hasty glance on the extraordinary apparition which burst upon him, looked, first, aghast-then sought the door, confused, and breathless-and retired, exclaiming, as he hurried down stairs, "Good God! God bless my life! What can be the matter with him?must tell his friends of him!—mad!"

A sudden twinge of compunction, a transient regret for his dereliction of duty, impelled him, the next morning, to pay a visit to the chambers, "and give the law one more trial." There he found the pale fellow-student, formerly mentioned, cowering, like an owl, in a complete ivy-bush of reports, digests, papers, books of practice; engaged on a very difficult and intricate case. A common declaration on a schoolmaster's bill was put into Elmsley's bands, but even to this he could not force his attention. He was perpetually starting from his seat, standing before the fire, and gazing ruefully-perhaps, enviously, on his fellow-pupil. A ludicrous and characteristic specimen of the declaration he was writing, is now in existence, and has been shown to the writer; in which it is stated

"That the said defendant was indebted to the said plaintiff, in the

further sum of 201. of good, &c. for the work and labour, care and diligence, of the said Iago, as schoolmaster, &c. &c.!"

When Mr. Quibble came to settle this precious perforinance of Elmsley, he simply assured his erratic pupil, that it was not the custom to insert the Christian name of the plaintiff, but to allude to him generally as "plaintiff!" There was certainly no analogy between master and pupil.

At length, however, arrived the eventful day. Little sleep did poor Elmsley obtain the preceding night. He rose in a state of feverish excitement. His dress had been sent down to the earl's house the day before; and about three in the afternoon the dashing equipage of Lord stood glittering before the gloomy portals of the Temple. Elmsley entered it with a throbbing heart. A shrewd attorney, who was passing at the time, observing the coronet on the panels, exclaimed to his companion-"Some protégé of the Chancellor's, I'll warrant-lucky dog, that!" The carriage took up successively Berton, a noble amateur, and Scenicus; and a few hours saw them alight at the scene of Elmsley's debut. The ample mansion was crowded with amateur actors and noble visitors: all was gaiety and the soft bustle of aristocratic preparation. Elmsley, who, since his hit at Lady -'s, had been much talked of, was a decided lion. He was introduced to, and received by the noble host and hostess in the most flattering manner; and, as he moved along the rooms, thronged with rank and fashion, he met, on every hand, with that easy and affable reception for which our English nobility are celebrated. He was placed, at dinner, next to a niece of his noble host's, a girl of rare and dreamy beauty, so soft, so delicate, so lovely, that Elmsley could scarce persuade himself that he actually sat by the side of her whose likeness had fascinated him at most of the leading print-shops in London. Beauteous, however, as was the fair creature by his side, Elmsley could not help, unwittingly, furnishing her with a source of amusement, in his repeated fits of absence, and, occasionally, answering

her polite questions, in snatches from the language of his part.

An early hour of the evening beheld the private theatre crowded. Wine had communicated abundant self-possession to Elmsley. It need not be related how the affair went off, any further than to state, that, with the exception of one or two trifling slips, Elmsley's performance was able and spirited. He had taken much pains to appreciate Iago's character, and his representation of it was exceedingly well conceived, and met with great applause. At one part he succeeded in drawing tears from an old virgin of sixty; and at another his well-acted villany had nearly carried off a paralytical peer. But these were not the trophies which Elmsley courted; the youth and beauty of the audience were with him. His fine person was shown to the utmost advantage by his dress; his countenance handsome and expressive, and his voice rich and flexible, spoke eloquently to many a fluttering heart. Few things are more intoxicating to a young man who has a dash of romance or ambition in his composition, than being suddenly admitted to a familiar and flattering intimacy with the great. To be elevated at once to a higher sphere of society

to be singled out, from the millions, to move among the states of rank and beauty, argues the possession of rare and admirable qualities, at least, when such a person has the consciousness that he has avoided the sneaking tone of sycophancy, and stands on the ground of his own character and accomplishments. Whether or no such was the case with Elmsley-certain it is, he was nearly giddy with the encomiums which were unsparingly lavished on him.

with a knowing nod, and he'll beat off the stage."

"A star of the first magnitude, undoubtedly," said the classical and gifted Lord Elmsley distinctly overheard the remark, and it sent him to bed in an ecstasy.

Lord was so much delighted with Elmsley, that he pressed him to remain at- till the end of the week. He lived in clover in that time! On Saturday he returned to town, and betook himself to his chambers. All Sunday he remained alone; it was a gloomy, rainy, cheerless day; and how are the horrors of such weather enhanced in the Temple! What a contrast was there between the silence and solitude of his homely apartment, and the gaiety and splendour of House! Was it likely that his present profession would lead him into such scenes? Was it for his legal talents or prospects that he had been introduced into the highest society, and received with the most flattering attentions? the quamobrem of the affair cannot be ascertained-but the fact is certain, that an offensive copy of Archbold's Practice found itself suddenly dislodged from its resting-place, on his table, and hurled to a distant corner of the room!

He was prevailed on, by a friend, a week or two afterwards, to accompany him to the Court of King's Bench, for the purpose of hearing a very interesting trial, when one of the most eminent counsel was engaged for the defence. The thing was exciting enough in its way, there could be no doubt. Elmsley sate among the counsel; he could hear them expressing their expectation of a splendid display of 's powers; he saw the court getting rapidly thronged with spectators, all of whom directed their eyes to one spot that occupied by. At length Mr.

rose, adjusted his papers, and addressed himself to the jury. There was an instant silence in the court. Elmsley felt himself kindling with the eloquent and animated speaker. At one time he quailed and shrunk beneath the terrible and overwhelming recrimination, the bitter irony, the searching sarcasm of the indignant advocate; then felt

himself bewildered in a maze of the most subtle and refined sophistry— then carried away with a climax of prodigious power-till the speaker, raised even beyond himself, concluded amid a storm of eloquence,

the roar of thunders, and the lambent glare Of lightnings.-"

The judge, the jury, and court seemed exhausted with the attention they had bestowed on the speaker; who drew together his papers-gave his bag to his clerk-unrobed and retired to a new scene for the display of his powers-the House of Commons. "Then did the scale" of Thespis "kick the beam." Elmsley, in a state of unutterable excitement, returned home, resolved to go on with the "law," and, with enthusiasm, sat down to draw up a plan of commonlaw reading-constitutional law-history; in short, such a line of reading as he thought calculated to make him such a one as Mr. He retired to bed, heated with his projects; rose the next morning in the same spirit; was hurrying about twelve to Butterworth's, to purchase a copy of Hale's History of the Common Law-when, as fate would have it, he encountered Berton and Scenicus, stepping out of the latter's carriage to pay him a visit. What was to be done?-They would hear of no refusal; so Elmsley got in, and away they drove to witness the final rehearsal of a tragedy that was to be performed that evening. They all dined at an adjoining hotel. Both Berton and Scenicus were eloquent in praise of the stage, and of Elmsley's qualifications for success. They urged him to "throw law to the dogs ;" and how could he stand their cross-fire ? He felt flattered by the pains they took; too much obliged by their solicitude to be rude enough to meet them with a firm denial; felt dazzled by the proximity of success on the stage-and discouraged by the tardy and distant returns of the bar-Berton pressed hotly.

"My dear fellow, it would be downright madness to think of it," replied Elmsley, faintly.

"Gentle shepherd! tell me why?" inquired Scenicus, gaily.