CHAPTER X.

There was a youth, whom I had loved so long,
That when I loved him not I cannot say.

Mid the green mountains many and many a song
We two had sung, like gladsome birds in May.
When we began to tire of childish play,

We seemed still more and more to prize each other.

And I, in truth, did love him like a brother,

For never could I hope to meet with such another.
WORDSWORTH.

"COME, Bet," said Balcombe, "we ride in the

And you, William, back to rested now," said he, as we

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morning; so to bed. your den. You are recrossed the passage; are you ready for another long talk? I see that I am serving you as the devil served the old woman of Berkeley, whom he came after in the shape of a high trotting horse, and carried off on his back. But I had compassion on you. I saw that you were weary, and set you down to rest. Now your time is out, and you must up and ride. Needs must,' you know, 'when the devil drives." "

I expressed my readiness to hear him, and he

went on:

"It is your turn to talk now. I wanted to ask all about my dear little pet Ann, of whom my own baby so often reminds me; but I saw you colour at her name, and would not make the inquiry in my wife's presence. What of her ?”

"She lives with my mother since my grandfather's death. His house, you know, was her home, from the time she was left an orphan in infancy."

"Has she any patrimony?"

"A trifle of pecuniary income, sufficient to complete her education at some fashionable seminary. But she has no turn, she says, for the 'ologies, and prefers to learn the housewifely duties and plain oldfashioned sense of a Virginia lady, from my mother."

"God bless my dear girl !" said Balcombe; "I would not have her unlearn that preference, for all the sciences, and all the accomplishments, and airs, and graces, ever taught at a boarding-school."

"I suspect," said I," her true motive is, that her little peculium may go to eke out the scanty resources of the only mother she has ever known."

"Better and better !" said Balcombe; "wise, generous, and delicate. I should like her none the less if there were a deeper motive still."

I felt my cheek burn; but replied with all the composure I could master, that I was not aware of any other.

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I am sorry for it," said he; "I was in hopes there was something more, that I, as her friend and

yours, might hear with pleasure. I see you speak frankly, and therefore conclude that no apology for my curiosity is necessary."

"There is certainly no need of any," said I. "There is something you shall hear, but not, I think, with pleasure."

"No evil of her, I trust ?"

"None. She is everything she should be, in mind, manners, person, and conduct."

"You grew up together in the same house?" "We did; and the consequence, on my part at least, was what might have been expected." "And on her's?"

"I hardly know how to answer that question, without making a long story of the answer." "The longer the better. You are refreshed, and I am never sleepy."

I began, accordingly, and gave the history of my early love for my cousin: of her apparent fondness for me; of the strange alteration in her feelings, and of the anomalous relation in which we stood towards each other. But as the reader does not know this, I may as well again tell the story to him and Balcombe in the same breath.

"I need not tell you,” said I, "that Ann is beautiful."

"Of course not. In your eyes she must be so. But she was a beautiful child; and the character of her face, her large blue eyes, fair skin, and flaxen hair, was too marked to leave any doubt as to her style of beauty. Is she tall or short?"

"Neither; her stature is a medium, her figure slight, and her movements agile."

"Then I have her before me. Go on."

"Bred up with her, it was, as you foresaw, of course, that I should love her. Whether it was of course that she should love me, was a matter of which others could judge better than I. I thought she did. In one sense, I know she did, and does; but how can I judge of the true quality of her affection, but by her professions? And how can she judge of it? We have been always together. Our feelings must be different from those of persons who live apart, yet love each other. No yearning for each other's society, such as I am sensible of at this distance, could be expected to arise. I have no idea when any change in my feelings took place; yet surely children do not love as I do now. In short, like Paul and Virginia, we were wedded by circumstances, united in all the habitudes of domestic intercourse like man and wife. I still remember how we both cried, when first separated at night. We saw no sense in the measure then, and I doubt if she sees it yet. It curtailed, indeed, our enjoyment of each other's society; but still we were together all day, and the day's length was the measure of our happiness, and the night of our dreams of each other. We were soon reconciled to the change. We missed nothing, and looked forward to nothing.

"This could not last, though, but for other peo

ple, I see no reason why it might not have lasted for life. It lasted through her sixteenth and my nineteenth year. Why not always? What can the heart know of the fierceness of passion that it may not know then? But sweet illusions, it seems, can never be permitted to continue. One year ago, while my father was yet alive, and before the family were made sensible of his ruin, by the loss of the comforts or even elegances of life, young Howard, the heir of that wealthy family, came to spend a few weeks at his princely estate in our neighbourhood. He was accompanied by his mother and sister, and a gay party of young people of both sexes. He is a handsome man; gentlemanly, generous, intelligent, and of good principles and manly character. His sister is a pretty girl, sprightly and agreeable, and mistress of a handsome fortune. Visits were, of course, promptly interchanged, and the two families were much together at each other's houses, and at parties of pleasure in the neighbourhood.

"We young folks were all delighted with each other's company. Ann and I were particularly pleased with Howard and his sister, and they apparently so with us. No thought of jealousy entered my head. A husband, secure in the affections of a beautiful wife, could not take more pleasure in seeing her admired, than I did in witnessing the respectful attention of Howard to my cousin. I requited it by a similar attention to his sister,