hasten away,
and their departure is announced by melancholy strains; faces all unseemly
with weeping, forced open my lids; faster and faster many groups of these
woe-begone countenances thronged around, exhibiting every variety of
wretchedness--well known faces mingled with the distorted creations of
fancy. Ashy pale, Raymond and Perdita sat apart, looking on with sad
smiles. Adrian's countenance flitted across, tainted by death--Idris,
with eyes languidly closed and livid lips, was about to slide into the wide
grave. The confusion grew--their looks of sorrow changed to mockery; they
nodded their heads in time to the music, whose clang became maddening.

I felt that this was insanity--I sprang forward to throw it off; I rushed
into the midst of the crowd. Idris saw me: with light step she advanced; as
I folded her in my arms, feeling, as I did, that I thus enclosed what was
to me a world, yet frail as the waterdrop which the noon-day sun will drink
from the water lily's cup; tears filled my eyes, unwont to be thus
moistened. The joyful welcome of my boys, the soft gratulation of Clara,
the pressure of Adrian's hand, contributed to unman me. I felt that they
were near, that they were safe, yet methought this was all deceit;--the
earth reeled, the firm-enrooted trees moved--dizziness came over me--I
sank to the ground.

My beloved friends were alarmed--nay, they expressed their alarm so
anxiously, that I dared not pronounce the word plague, that hovered on my
lips, lest they should construe my perturbed looks into a symptom, and see
infection in my languor. I had scarcely recovered, and with feigned
hilarity had brought back smiles into my little circle, when we saw Ryland
approach.

Ryland had something the appearance of a farmer; of a man whose muscles and
full grown stature had been developed under the influence of vigorous
exercise and exposure to the elements. This was to a great degree the case:
for, though a large landed proprietor, yet, being a projector, and of an
ardent and industrious disposition, he had on his own estate given himself
up to agricultural labours. When he went as ambassador to the Northern
States of America, he, for some time, planned his entire migration; and
went so far as to make several journies far westward on that immense
continent, for the purpose of choosing the site of his new abode. Ambition
turned his thoughts from these designs--ambition, which labouring through
various lets and h