As it was growing late, I sent my wife to bed, and ordered coffee in my study, whither I retired, and sat lost in conjecture and reverie till nearly 1 o'clock. I then repaired to my patient's room; but my entrance startled her from a sleep that had lasted almost since I had left. As soon as I sat down by her, she opened her eyesand my heart leaped with joy to see her increasing calmness-their expression resembling what bad oft delighted me, while she was in health. Aftor eyeing me steadily for a few moments, she seemed suddenly to recognize me, "Kiss me!" she whispered in the faintest possible whisper, while a smile stole over her languid features. I did kiss her; and in so doing, my tears fell upon her cheek. "Don't cry," she whispered again, in a tone as feeble as before. She gently moved her hand into mine, and I clasped the trembling, lilied fingers, with an emotion I cannot express. She noticed my agitation; and the tears came into her eyes, while her lip quivered, as though she were going to speak. I implored her, however, not to utter a word, till she was better able to do it without exhaustion, and lest my presence should tempt her beyond her strength, I once more kissed her-bade her good-night-her poor slender fingers once more compressed mineand I left her to the care of the nurse, with a whispered caution to step to me instantly if any change should take place in Agnes. I could not sleep! I felt a prodigious burden removed from my mind; and woke my wife, that she might share in my joy. I received no summons during the night; and on entering her room, about nine o'clock in the morning, I found that Miss P had taken a little arrow-root in the course of the night, and slept calmly, with but few intervals. She had sighed frequently, and once or twice conversed for a short time with the nurse about heaven; as I understood. She was much stronger than I had expected to find her. I kissed her, and she asked me how I was, in a tone that surprised me by its strength and firmness. " Is the storm over?" she inquired, looking towards the window. "Oh yes-long, long ago!" I replied, seeing at once that she seemed to have no consciousness of the interval that had elapsed. "And are you all well?-Mrs. -" wife.) "how is she?" "You shall see her shortly." "How frightened I must have been!" Well, Doctor-if, on the whole, you think so (my-that it would be safe," said N -, after we had talked much on the matter--"I will step over and see her; but, it looks very, very strange!" "Whatever whim may actuate her, I think it better, on the whole, to gratify her. Your refusal may be attended with infinitely worse effects than I step over and tell you." IP-. It was full of ineffable loveliness! She stretched out her right arm: he pressed it to his lips, without uttering a word. fore stepping down to dins P, making my usual -atified to find that her proeemed sure. I was going to ng, when with similar emd previously displayed, she must be here to-night!" What could be the meanas pertinacity? I felt disnd dissatisfied with myself N. I felt answereffects might ensue; and yet, mild, though lustrous, July ere all blue and white, save n-light produced a mellow Cowards the west. Not a d the serene complacency. on each side of the bed, invalid, looking, despite of autiful and in comparative parted with negligent simforehead. Her eyes were eeks occasionally flushed ke scarce a word to us, as Igazed at her with doubt I was aware that health duce the colour and vivan and eyes; and felt at a -efer it. w beautiful is the setting - wife, drawing aside the me look at it," replied Miss e gazed earnestly at the some minutes; and then Whose genius, like the sun, illumined the mighty realnis of mind I expect him. But, Agnes, Had fled for ever from the fame, love, friendship of man e him?" ok her head. ed that Dr. D - to my house, and conduct congly enjoining on him the or controlling his feelings, e emotion as possible. My mouth,-as the saying isected knock at the door. last!" said I, in a gentle y at her, to see if she was the case. She sighed, but .. in at once?" I inquired. ments," replied the extraeemed lost in thought for Ow!" she exclaimed; and I herself pale and trembling request the attendance of d slowly approaching the sly at my patient, and kept e. There was not a sympation. At length the door slowly entered, with As soon as his pale, trem D ple, a calm and heavenly the countenance of Miss his sake; Lake." ARRIAGES chiefs' tables, whose stomach refused almost every other om the German.) of a 'rich French merchant; uite as prudent, was perhaps nd could number alınost as e had entered into her teens. ourite; and advocates, court ament, officers, and general each other for her good opi all met with the same recep monosyllable, no! At length a the name of Alson, had the good graces, but her father of a good old family, he ad tiver to bless himself witial, military chest; and why this ence over so many wealthy Loss to account. M. Molinet, at class of cruel fathers, who annizing over their children: frowning and fuming, and ith a little solitary confine eir girls into a fit frame of yoke along with some ugly, they would otherwise, permired. So, without making sensible French father, after helped him to recover his consent. "The young fools ad the boy wants nothing but will allow me the honour to valour will entitle him to a ap; another and another, till will not sound amiss, when I designate the commander h the dear name of son-the Alson's promotion began, --in-law's prophecies of his Tew degrees, Molinet agreed his daughter, in a magnifi ady, however, was only yet ther quite doated upon her, deration of her youth, and - company a year or two ng that the ceremony was received orders to march; pon its commander marchIn destination. y tender and romantic, but hat he was doing his duty co young to encounter the it did not move him a whit. the hoped for termination would enable him to return while he had, at all events e usual chances of being ocked upon the head. to have been entered upon of destiny; for though his English colonists, in their mutry, it so happened that xen prisoner by a troop of Forces, in the first engage er sacrificed, nor eat him, e torture of curing him of assistance, left him a cripe a serious impediment in om the swift-footed forest suaded to make the attempt s. The latter was quick ut the unlucky Alson was extraordinary pace, in the de and his wealthy father oving a quiet pension for His recovery was equally tedious and vexatious, and before he grow at all convalescent, another character ap peared upon the scene. Victor felt not a little alarmed on learning that Clermont, another young officer, who had been captured by the Indians, had just arrived in Paris. His first question on arriving at the hotel was respecting the residence of M. Molinet, and he did not long leave Victor in suspense, as to the particulars of his escape, and the fate of Alson. In fact, he was the bearer of letters from the latter to his wife, and he was naturally somewhat surprised on hearing from his host that the lady had contracted fallen as Clermont was announced, and briskly followed | in his appeals to her tenderness and compassion, still h up his name with the familiarity of a former comrade, into the sick man's chamber, "Oh, Victor!" he cried, "what a wretch you are! what a piece of villany you have committed against Alson! he is alive, poor fellow; and I have brought letters from him for his wife-I must go and de liver them." "Alive?" exclaimed Victor, "Alson alive? impossible! why he was overtaken and put to death by the Indians in my company, while we were trying to make our escape." "Stop there, Victor; he was overtaken, but not killed; though he would have been, and eaten too, had it not been for a party of the colonists, who fell on the Indians during the night, and rescued our friend from his perilous situation. But come, I must deliver my letters. "For God's sake! my good Clermont," cried the wretched Victor, at the same time tumbling head foremost in his hurry to prevent him, "for God's sake, help me up-I fear I have broken my leg again;-I beseech you not to put the cimax to my misery. Truly, take half of all I am worth, and do not betray me. Command me in every thing for ever after; but do spare me; and try to raise me upon the sofa before Adeline comes in." Touched with pity at his helpless situation, Clermont assisted the unlucky patient from the ground, who feigned a vast deal more pain than he really felt. Meanwhile, Adeline, who had heard from one of the maidens that a stranger had arrived, and was then in her husband's room; and likewise hearing high words, ran full of anxiety to inquire. Victor was now in momentary dread of beholding the fatal letter drawn from Clermont's pocket; but the latter was too magnanimous, and too much delighted at the sight of Adeline's surpassing charms and loveliness to think of causing her any such alarm and unhappiness. It is true, that he enjoyed the unhappy man's suspense and tortures, and would then burst out into an uncontrolable fit of laughter to see the rueful faces which he made, and which his lovely bride put to the account of his lame leg, no better for his fall. Clermont lingered long enough to catch the fascinating poison that lurked in Adeline's bright eyes; his soul was fired at the first interview; and it was clear that Victor's last sands of promised happiness and good fortune-most tantalizing good fortune-were nearly run. He no longer felt so indignant as he ought at Victor's base conduct; he rather sighed more effectually to imitate it; and having, like him, been in the habits of pleasing himself whenever he well could, a thought suddenly struck him to avail himself, as far as possible, of the information and influence which he possessed. Adeline, pleased to observe that there seemed nothing unpleasant between the two gentlemen, as she had feared, soon after left the room. Clermont again turned to his companion with a portentous frown upon his brow:-"I am thinking, my good Sir, that you have brought yourself into a very pretty dilemma indeed. Your situation is desperate; and besides, I never could reconcile it to my conscience to become the means of concealing your treacherous conduct from the parties concerned. I say, Sir, too, that it would be ill discharging the trust reposed in me be our unhappy friend Alson, in any degree to countenance so base a conspiracy against his peace. No, I am decided in the course I shall take; to deliver his letters, along with other proofs, showing that, though infirm he is still in existence. The sole lenity which in such an affair I can be induced to grant, would be to postpone the communication until you were sufficiently recovered to be removed; and the sooner you can save yourself by flight, the better it will be. I can afford you no greater proof of my regard; for if you continue here much longer, I shall, however reluctantly, be compelled to expose you to the world. Spare yourself the trouble of any farther intreaties; -I cannot listen to them; I cannot consent to become accessary to so cruel an imposition." Having come to this explanation, Clermont took his leave, leaving the unlucky patient in no very enviable state of mind. He was unable even to make his escape; and he lay ruminating all possible plans, either for counteract ing Clermont's influence or for effecting an able retreat. It was in vain, however, that he beat his brains for a satis would have to encounter the storm, raised by her incense friends and her father, which in his present helpless situa tion would be doubly trying. At length, finding nothin that was likely to relieve him from his awkward dilemm he resigned himself quietly to his destiny, desirous onl of getting his head out of the scrape with as little damag as possible; and, wearied with conjectures, he fell asleep Adeline remarked that there was something or othe pressing upon his spirits, and with a thousand endearin words she sought to discover the cause. But he only a fected greater cheerfulness, and lavished fresh thanks an caresses for all the affection and devotedness which, said, she had so generously shown him. By such mear he removed her suspicions; and she regarded the assiduou visits on the part of Clermont, only in the light of friend inquiries after his friend's health. Entertaining, howeve the designs before mentioned, it was not his object to pe mit Victor's health to be so fully established, as to take a fina and affectionate leave of his young bride; he must be re moved suddenly and secretly. For this purpose Clermon now daily made his appearance with Alson's letters in hi hand, which he held before Victor's eyes; while he threa ened the unfortunate wight with instant exposure, if h longer refused to quit the field. This, after many vain appeals for pity, he was compelle to do. Under pretence of taking a first airing, Clermon provided him with a conveyance, and then destroyed thos important docutnents which he had held up, like the ar gel's flaming sword behind our first parents, to drive th unlucky Victor out of Paradise. Having accompanie him some distance, Clermont received his parting lette for Adeline, and returned in the same carriage to M. Mo linet's house. "Where is Victor? what has happened?" was the firs inquiry. "He bids you an eternal farewell!" replied Clermont "and you may rejoice that you will never behold h face again. His own letter will inform you, that he basel deceived you; that he forged the account of Captain A son's death, and married Adeline during his life-time. threatened to reveal his treachery, and he quickly de camped, well knowing that he was not legally united your daughter, nor entitled to her person any more tha to her fortune. "Poor Alson, indeed, is since dead; but this does not any degree diminish his guilt, or ratify his marriage. It now just three months since my friend died in prison where we were both confined for above a year. 'Shoul you ever,' said he, 'be fortunate enough to reach our dea country, salute my excellent Adeline, my dearly belove wife!" Shortly afterwards he breathed his last; and peac be to the ashes of my respected friend! He beguiled th hours of our imprisonment with his sweet and noble di course, and he even watched over me, I may say, after h decease; for as they were carrying his remains out of th prison. I contrived to make my escape." At this account, both father and daughter stood wrap in astonishment, and in particular Adeline fixed her eye in breathless wonder upon the ingenious inventor of s many fictions. He detailed them with so much ease an confidence, answered every question, and gave the whol fable so natural an air, as to carry conviction to the nearts, equal to any thing that was ever felt for the trut of the Gospel. The lovely bride of two absent husbands then expresse her lively gratitude to the intended third, for his timel interference in rescuing her out of the hands of so base character, while the good old merchant begged for the fa vour of his friendship and more frequent visits. But the artful Clermont checked his wishes for a shor period. in order not to betray his own project. He calle so very seldom, that, being bent upon evincing their grat tude, they were obliged to send him formal invitations. I fact, so deeply was he smitten with the charms of Ade line, that he was almost afraid of anticipating his view upon her, and tried to accost her with all the starched po liteness of some grey-haired matron during his first visit Yet he was handsome and entertaining; and Adeline, little piqued at his excessive indifference, sought to tha |