ffection, he had only to see,
to make use of, and to conquer.

He had frankly offered his hand to Alida, and pressed her for a decisive
answer. This from time to time she suspended, and finally named a day in
which to give him and Theodore a determinate one, though neither knew
the arrangements made with the other. Alida finding, however, the
dilemma in which she was placed, and she had previously consulted her
father. He had no objections to her choosing between two persons of
equal claims to affluence and respectability. This choice she had made,
and her father was considered the most proper person to pronounce it.

When Bonville had urged Alida to answer him decidedly, he supposed that
her hesitation, delay and suspensions, were only the effect of
diffidence. He had no suspicion of her ultimate conclusion, and when she
finally named the day to decide, he was confident her voice would be in
his favour. These sentiments he had communicated to the person who had
written to Theodore, intimating that Alida had fixed a time which was to
crown his sanguine wishes. He had listened, therefore, attentively to
the words of her father, momentarily expecting to hear himself declared
the favourite choice of the fair. What then must have been his
disappointment when the name of Theodore was pronounced instead of his
own! The highly-finished scene of pleasure and future happy prospects
which his ardent imagination had depicted, now vanished in a moment. The
bright sun of his early hopes was veiled in darkness at this unexpected
decision.

Very different were the sensations which inspired the bosom of Theodore.
He had not even calculated on a decision in his favour; he believed that
Bonville would be the choice of Alida. She had told him, that the form
of deciding was necessary to save appearances; with this form he
complied, because she desired it, not because he expected the result
would be in his favour. He had not, therefore, attended to the words of
Alida's father with that eagerness which favourable anticipations
commonly produce.

But when his name was mentioned; when he found that he was the choice,
the happy favourite of Alida's affection, every ardent feeling of his
soul became interested, and was suddenly aroused to the refinements of
sensibility. Like an electric shock it re-animated his existence, and
the bright morning of joy quickly dissipated the gloom which hung over
his mind.

CHAPTER X.

"Dark gathe