should be plunged from their high estate into endless ruin and eternal woe.

"I am sorry to add, that my nurse's admonitions had little effect on me, though they drew me to a more minute consideration of the character of my sister, which, in proportion as her deep grief for the loss of her mother wore away, unfolded itself more and more to my view. She was, undoubtedly, remarkably lovely in her outward appearance; but her mind had a simple, delicate, and infantine character. She was not deficient either in dignity or elegance, still she had an ease and courtesy, a cheerfulness and openness of manner, which might subject her intentions to be misunderstood: but it was unaffected artlessness, and resulted from her unacquaintedness with the world, and a freedom from all suspicion.

66 Eglantine had a delicate feeling, and would have felt a degree of horror at appearing imprudent. She was awake to every reproof which was kindly given, and ready to correct any error. She therefore most needed a guide at the very time she lost her prudent mother; for though her grief operated for many months as a restraint on her too lively feelings, yet, as I before remarked, at the end of twelve months she resumed in a great measure her natural vivacity.

"She first began to exercise that vivacity by breaking in upon my private conversations with Florence. She would sometimes steal into my room while we were working together at one piece of embroidery, and more than once gently pushed our heads together, saying we were not intimate enough, and were not close enough to tell secrets.

"It was impossible to fix upon her an idea that we were offended on these occasions: when I expostulated gravely, she always laughed, and told me I was getting old, affirming that she already saw an incipient wrinkle, many of which wrinkles, she affirmed, were completely established in the face of Mademoiselle de Castres; a sort of jesting which pleased neither of us, and which we were indisposed to attribute to the thoughtlessness which dictated them.

"She now began to make frequent visits to her grandfather, Anselm'de Xerés, who was become an old man, and doated on his dimpled and smiling grandaughter; and there she would amuse herself with a thousand freaks, some of

which Florence and myself were eye-witnesses of, as we sat in our balcony, which opened from my chamber, and almost projected over a part of the river.

"On one of these occasions, she dressed her grandfather in an old court suit, which had belonged to the Marquis de Roquefort in the days of Henry the Fourth, stiff with gold and silver; and, tying his hair in a queue with a bag, and placing a sword on his side, she handed him into the gallery or covered walk which encircled the first story of the farm-house, where she tutored him to make his bows to us, the ladies of the castle, who were plying our needles in the opposite balcony.

"I well remember a conversation which passed between me and Florence on this occasion, and could repeat it word for word.

"On seeing Eglantine and her grandfather, we both laughed heartily, and undoubtedly did all that the distance would admit to encourage her gambols. But, as she led the old man off, I said, Well, Mademoiselle, and what do you think of all this?'

"She smiled, shrugged up her shoulders, and said nothing.

"I pressed her for an answer; and she then said, 'All this is very well for Anselm de Xerés' grandaughter.' "But do you think there is any thing really wrong or imprudent in these things?' I asked.

666

Wrong! imprudent!—these are hard words,' replied Florence. Why should we use them? Your sister is a pretty little thing; why should we find fault with her?' "But you think her a little rustic, do not you, Florence?' I asked.

"She has never been in Paris,' returned my confidant, ‘and she is Anselm's grandaughter; and yet she is well enough. She has few awkward ways; she might even pass for a second Fleurette. It is almost a pity that she is the daughter of a marquis, and entitled to an immense dowry.' "Immense!' I said, whence is it to come?'

"From old Anselm,' she said. She is his only child, though he might marry again, and have another family. But, setting this possibility aside, she will be heiress of multitudes of flocks and herds, to stores of wool and flax, with barns and vineyards, orchards and extensive lands.

And then,' added she, ‘there is no Salic law, no deed of entail, to stand in her way.'

"I endeavoured to repress a sigh, and said, 'But do you really think that Eglantine has any thing of the peasante, that she has any thing of her mother's family

about her?'

cannot

"Why should you ask me?' said Florence; you see yourself? Was it not but yesterday that she went off to Marguerite's cottage with a basket of cold pies which she had stolen or wheedled from the maitre d' hotel-that she carried it herself, although her maid went with herand that we met her, on her return, with the same basket filled with flowers on her head, which she balanced as nicely as if she had been accustomed to carry eggs to market ever since her sixth year?'

"I remember it,' I said; indeed, how could I have forgotten it? for I thought I never saw her look so lovely as she did at the moment we first saw her, for the branch of wild roses which hung down from the basket was quite eclipsed by the charming bloom of her cheek.'

"She was then in her place,' replied Florence; 'and every thing and every person look best in their own place. Some persons,' she added, glancing at me, are born for courts, others for camps, and others for a rural life. Each situation requires a different kind of talents: but there is this difference, that those who are born for shepherds and shepherdesses would make but poor figures in the royal presence; while, on the other hand, that female who could shine in the presence of majesty would add a grace to a crook and straw hat, and to a basket of flowers borne on her head, which the country person could never display.'

"Then you really think,' I asked, 'that there is a sort of rustic coarseness about Eglantine?'

"Not more than might be expected,' she replied, 'considering her retired education.'

6

"Still, however,' I added, still, however, you think that it is so?'

"Only fancy her,' replied Florence, 'only fancy your little wild sister at court, at Versailles, for instance, in the presence of majesty, laughing, as she did but now, first on one side, then on the other, of the old beau which she had

made, and courtesying as she did to him in mock politeness; only fancy it, Mademoiselle Constance, and then tell me what you think.'

"But she was at play just now,' I answered.

“Well, then, watch her when she is not at play. We expect your cousin Xavier soon, with several of his young friends: observe your sister in this company; and if you do not detect a thousand rusticisms, I, shall say that you have not that delicate tact which I give you credit for.'

"Thus terminated our conversation, but not so its consequences. I had never so plainly displayed my sentiments with respect to my sister at any former time before Florence, and my conscience censured me for having so done at this time: I was therefore dissatisfied with myself, and could not help feeling that I had done wrong as it respected Eglantine; and I felt that I wanted something to reconcile me with myself, and this something I desired to find in Eglantine's conduct. I therefore began to search eagerly for failures in her behaviour, that I might justify my censures of her; and thus I was prepared to rejoice in her blunders, and to magnify them. My conduct resembled a certain man, of whom I have somewhere read, who, having professed great joy on hearing that his neighbour's son was hanged, was asked by one present wherefore he was so glad, and if the young man had ever done him an injury. 'No, to be sure,' he said, never, that I know of: but I always predicted that he would turn out ill, and now, you see, it is come to pass.' Accordingly, I had intimated that my sister was an ill-bred little peasant, and I now hoped soon to see myself justified in the assertion.

"A few days after this conversation, Xavier arrived, and brought with him several young officers; among whom was a remarkably pleasing young man, the younger brother of a noble house, called the Comte de Perouse. Had I been left to my own choice, I should, no doubt, have preferred the Comte de Perouse to my cousin; but I had such an estimation of the advantages I was to derive from a marriage with Xavier, that I made no objection to my father's proposal, that it should be celebrated within a month after his arrival. And when my father's death took place, an event which happened within the first year of our

marriage, I had reason to be thankful that such an establishment had been secured to me.

"My sister was exceedingly affected at the death of our father; and being invited by her grandfather, and not pressed on the other hand by me to stay in her paternal mansion, she left me immediately after the funeral solemnities were performed, and took up her residence at the farm, some of the apartments of which were newly furnished and beautified for her accommodation.

"My sister remained single till the year of mourning for our father had expired; after which, she married the Comte de Perouse, who, being in possession of a very small patrimony, gladly settled in the house with his lovely young comtesse and her father, and there enjoyed, as I have reason to think, more happiness than often falls to the lot

of man.

"In the mean time, although I had by no means met with a devoted husband, I was not unhappy: I adopted my own pleasures, and was left at liberty to enjoy them; and my husband interfered the less, because my habits were domestic and economical, although I supported the ancient customs of the family, and suffered them not to degenerate from their former magnificence. I was exceedingly fond of needlework, and delighted in ornamenting the apartments of the castle. I had great delight in Occasionally giving a grand entertainment to my country neighbours, in displaying my superb equipage in the little towns in the vicinity, and in hearing the gossip of the country from my friend Florence de Castres; and I possessed at that time so little relish for any thing better, and so much indifference to all other things, that I never regretted the frequent absence of my husband, who, after his marriage, became more devoted to a military life, and often acknowledged that he felt himself more at home in a camp than in his own house.

"I must now pass over several years of my life, which were marked by no other special events than the births of my children and those of the Comtesse de Perouse. Two only were given to me: the eldest, a son, to whom we gave the name of Bertram, is the present Marquis de Roquefort; and the younger, a daughter, my ever-beloved and lamented Agnace. The Comtesse de Perouse, on the other hand,