the things were taken away. said Ethel. "I wonder when Fanny will come," "Perhaps not at all to-day," observed Villiers, "she knows that we intend to remain till to morrow here, and if your aunt's letter is delayed till then, I see no chance of her coming, nor any use in it." "But Aunt Bessy will not delay; her answer is certain of arriving this morning." "So you imagine, love. You know little of the various chances that wait upon borrowing. Soon after, unable to bear confinement to the house, uneasy in his thoughts, and desirous a little to dissipate them by exercise, Villiers went out. Ethel, taking a small Shakspeare, which her husband had had with him at the coffeehouse, occupied herself by reading, or turning from the written page to her own thoughts, gave herself up to reverie, dwelling on many an evanescent idea, and reverting delightedly to many scenes, which her memory recalled. She was one of those who "know the pleasures of solitude, when we hold commune alone with the tranquil solemnity of nature." The thought of her father, of the Illinois, and the measureless forest rose before her, and in her ear was the dashing of the stream which flowed near their abode. Her light feet again crossed the prairie, and a thousand appearances of sky and earth departed for ever, were retraced in her brain. "Would not Edward be happy there?" she thought: "why should we not go? We should miss dear Horatio; but what else could we regret that we leave behind? and perhaps he would join us, and then we should be quite happy." And then her fancy pictured her new home and all its delights, till her eyes were suffused with tender feeling, as her imagination sketched a variety of scenes-the pleasant labours of cultivation, the rides, the hunting, the boating, all common-place occurrences, which, attended on by love, were exalted into a perpetual gorgeous procession of beatified hours. And then again she allowed to herself that Europe or America could contain the same delights. She recollected Italy, and her feelings grew more solemn and blissful as she meditated on the wondrous beauty and changeful but deep interest of that land of memory. Villiers did not return for some hours;-he also had indulged in reverie-long-drawn, but not quite so pleasant as that of his inexperienced wife. The realitiese of life were kneaded up too entirely with his prospects and schemes, for them to assume the fairy hues that adorned Ethel's. He could not see the end to his present struggle for the narrowest independence. Very slender hopes had heen held out to him; and thus he was to drag out an embittered existence, spent upon sordid cares, till his father died—an ungrateful idea, from which he turned with a sigh. He walked speedily, on account of the cold; and as his blood began to circulate more cheerily in his frame, a change came over the tenor of his thoughts. From the midst of the desolation in which he was lost, a vision of happiness arose, that forced itself on his speculations, in spite, as he imagined, of his better reason. The image of an elegant home, here or in Italy, adorned by Ethel-cheered by the presence of friends, unshadowed by any cares, presented itself to his mind with strange distinctness and pertinacity. At no time had Villiers loved so passionately as now. The difficulties of their situation had exalted her, who shared them with such cheerful fortitude, into an angel of consolation. The pride of man in possessing the affections of this lovely and noble-minded creature, was blended with the tenderest desire of protecting and serving her. His heart glowed with honest joy at the reflection that her happiness depended upon him solely, and that he was ready to devote his life to secure it. Was there any action too arduous, any care too minute, to display his gratitude and his perfect affection? As his recollection came back, he found that he was at a considerable distance from her, so he swiftly turned his steps homeward, (that was his home where she was,) and scarcely felt that he trod earth as he recollected that each moment carried him nearer, and that he should soon meet the fond gaze of the kindest, sweetest eyes in the world. Thus they met, with a renewed joy, after a short absence, each reaping, from their separate meditations, a fresh harvest of loving thoughts and interchange of grateful emotion. Great was the pity that such was their situation-that circumstances, all mean and trivial, drew them from their heaven-high elevation to the more sordid cares of this dirty planet. Yet why name it pity ? their pure natures could turn the grovelling substance presented to them, to ambrosial food for the sustenance of love. CHAPTER XLII. There's a bliss beyond all that the minstrel has told, LALLA ROOKH. VILLIERS had not been returned long, when the waiter came in, and informed them, that his mistress declined serving their dinner, till her bill of the morning was paid; and then he left the room. The gentle pair looked at each other, and laughed. "We must wait till Fanny comes, I fear," said Ethel; "for my purse is literally empty." "And if Miss Derham should not come?" remarked Villiers. "But she will!—she has delayed, but I am perfectly certain that she will come in the course of the day : I do not feel the least doubt about it. To quicken the passage of time, Ethel employed herself in netting a purse, (the inutility of which Villiers smilingly remarked,) while her husband read to her some of the scenes from Shakspeare's play of "Troilus and Cressida." The profound philosophy, and intense passion, of this drama, adorned by the most magnificent poetry that can even be found in the pages of this prince of poets, caused each to hang attentive and delighted upon their occupation. As it grew dark, Villiers stirred up the fire, and still went on; till having with difficulty deciphered the lines "She was beloved—she loved ;—she is, and doth; he closed the book. "It is in vain," he said; our liberator does not come; and these churls will not give us lights. "It is early yet, dearest," replied Ethel;-" not yet four o'clock. Would Troilus and Cressida have repined at having been left darkling a few minutes? How much happier we are than all the heroes and heroines that ever lived or were imagined! they grasped at the mere shadow of the thing, whose substance we absolutely possess. Let us know and acknowledge our good fortune. God knows, I do, and am beyond words grateful!" "It is much to be grateful for-sharing the fortunes of a ruined man!" You do not speak as Troilus does," replied Ethel smiling: he knew better the worth of love compared with worldly trifles." "You would have me protest, then," said Villiers ;— "But, alas! I am as true as truth's simplicity, And simpler than the infancy of truth;" so that all I can say is, that you are a very ill-used little girl, to be mated as you are--so buried, with all your loveliness, in this obscurity -so bound, though akin to heaven, to the basest dross of earth.” "You are poetical, dearest, and I thank you. For my own part, I am in love with ill luck. I do not think we should have discovered how very dear we are to each other, had we sailed for ever on a Such talk, a little prolonged, at length dwindled to silence. Edward drew her nearer to him; and as his arm encircled her waist, she placed her sweet head on his bosom, and they remained in silent reverie. He, as with his other hand he played with her shining ringlets, and parted them on her fair brow, was disturbed in thought, and saddened by a sense of degradation. Not to be able to defend the angelic creature, who depended on him, from the world's insults, galled his soul, and embittered even the heart's union that existed between them. She did not think-she did know of these things. After many minutes of silence, she said,"I have been trying to discover why it is absolute pleasure to suffer pain for those we love.' ง "Pleasure in pain !-you speak riddles. " "I do," she replied, raising her head; "but I have divined this. The great pleasure of love is derived from sympathy-the feeling of union-of unity. Anything that makes us alive to the sense of love -that imprints deeper on our plastic consciousness the knowledge of the existence of our affection, causes an increase of happiness. There are two things to which we are most sensitive-pleasure and pain. But habit can somewhat dull the first; and that which was in its newness, ecstasy-our being joined for ever-becomes, like the air we breathe, a thing we could not live without, but yet in which we are rather passively than actively happy. But when pain comes to awaken us to a true sense of how much we love-when we suffer for one another's dear sake—the consciousness of attachment swells our hearts we are recalled from the forgetfulness engendered by custom; and the awakening and renewal of the sense of affection brings with it a joy, that sweetens to its dregs the bitterest cup." "Encourage this philosophy, dear Ethel," replied Villiers; you will need it: but it shames me to think that I am your teacher in this mournful truth. As he spoke, his whole frame was agitated by tenderness and grief. Ethel could see, by the dull firelight, a tear gather on his eye-lashes it fell upon her hand. She threw her arms round him, and pressed him to her heart with a passionate gush of weeping, occasioned partly by remorse at having so moved him, and partly by her heart's overflowing with the dear security of being loved. 66 : They had but a little recovered from this scene, when the waiter, bringing in lights, announced Miss Derham. Her coming had been full of disasters. After many threatenings, and much time consumed in clumsy repairs, her hackney-coach had fairly broken down she had walked the rest of the way; but they were much farther from town than she expected; and thus she accounted for her delay. She brought no news; but held in her hand the letter that contained the means of freeing them from their awkward predicament. : "We will not stay another minute in this cursed place," said Villiers: 66 we will go immediately to Salt Hill, where I intended to take you to-morrow. I can return by one of the many stages which pass continually, to keep my appointment with Gayland; and be back with you again by night. So if these stupid people possess a post-chaise, we will be gone directly.' Ethel was well pleased with this arrangement; and it was put in |