Gerard Montagu:

Avept gentle tears of sympathy Avhen Mildred read Dr . Evan ' s letter to her . I don ' t think she had any idea of the depth of Gerard ' s affection for her . He had been too honourable to say one word , until he felt he should be in a position to offer her marriage . But she took the little

packet , opened it , and found therein a beautiful emerald ring . " Will you not wear it for his sake f Mildred said , "it can do you no harm . " " Oh , yes , if I may ; if he will let me . " Mildred looked up askance and saAv

pretty Muriel ' s face suffused Avith blushes . Mildred Avent up to her and Avhispered something . Muriel blushed and smiled . " I am so glad , dear . " " What does it all mean ? " I asked .

"Nothing dear . " I afterwards learnt that there Avas a sort of tacit understanding between Muriel and somebody else ; and about a fortni ght after the Morning Post announced : "That an alliance was contemplated

betAveen Lord Chehnondiston , only son of the Earl and Countess of Kilpatrick , and his cousin , Lady Muriel Mandeville . THE END .

Burmah.*

BURMAH . *

From the " Times . " UNDER the title of "Our Trip to Burmah , " Mr . Gordon has given to the public a lively narrative of some 250 pages , interspersed Avith numereus illustrations of

various degrees of interest and merit . As our readers AA'ould find it exceedingly difficult , even Avith the aid of his journal and his maps , to track him from point to point , Ave do not propose to give any consecutive account of his travels . It is enough to say that he set out from Madras on December 23 , in company with Sir Frederick Haines and some other Eua-lish officers ; that in

due time he arrived at Rangoon ; that from Rangoon be proceeded some distance up the Irrawaddy and back again ; and that he finally returned to the place from which he had set out . But Avhat he or his companions were about all this time his readers are left to conjecture ; andfor aught that

, he tells us to the contrary , the whole part y might just as Avell have been a bod y of Cook ' s excursionists . We shall pick out , therefore , from his desultory but animated and amusing narrative such sketches and observations as seem likely to be most

generally interesting , Avithout any regard to the chronological order of events . The first thing Avhich amused him Avas the behaviour of a " representative Hindoo '' Avhom he met at dinner at Vizag . This gentleman sat at table , but refrained from touching any of the delicacies

displayed on it till his resolution finally succumbed to a bottle of sparkling Moselle . Ho did not take any in presence of the company , but signalled to one of the servants to take some into an adjoining room , whither he immediately folloAved him ,

returning after a feAV minutes with a most benignant expression of countenance , stroking his long beard and smiling upon all the company . A feAV minutes later , and he began to talk very fast and to shake hands Avith everybody . Again a IOAV

minutes , and he was fast asleep in his chair . In Burmah there are nuns as Avell as priests and monks , but they are not locked up in convents . They are styled Virgins of the Temple , and are sometimes young and pretty . But Mr . Gordon does not hint at the existence of any scandals concerning them . Another feature of Buddhism which Mr . Gordon records with some unction is

the purchase of steps toAvards " Nirban , ' or the final state of divine perfection , which is openly carried on in the neighbourhood of the principal temple . Birdcatchers are always to be found in these places at certain hours of the day , offering their Avares for sale , and these are bought by pious

Burmese in order that by setting them at liberty they may gain another step on the road to Nirban . As the birds are only caught to be sold for this purpose , there is a frankness and straightforwardness about the whole contrivance Avhich deserves Mr . Gordon ' s admiration . Passing on from religious to more mundane topics , we may notice the great