g I had ever entertained towards him was turned to
bitterness. Painful associations, and fearful remembrances,
had thrown a dark shade over the pure and holy love of my
childhood--the enthusiastic affection I had felt for my
aunt;--and as to Henry Lovell, whose society I eagerly sought,
and whose attachment I appeared to return, I was forced at
times to confess to myself that there was not a grain of
tenderness in the feverish predilection I entertained for him.
I felt to hate myself for the deadness and coldness of my
heart. I despised myself for the inconsistent impulses of my
soul. Abased in my own eyes, condemned by my own judgment, I
often applied to myself the words of Holy Scripture; and in
bitterness of spirit exclaimed--"Unstable as water, I cannot
excel. Wasted with misery; drunk, but not with wine, my heart
is smitten and withered like gnus. I was exalted into Heaven:
I am brought down to Hell." These thoughts occupied me during
the remainder of our ride.

When Henry uttered the remark which led to this train of
reflections in my mind, we had reached the summit of the hill,
and coming upon the wild heath that lay between us and
Elmsley, we put our horses into a rapid canter, and arrived
before the hall-door just as it was getting dusk.

CHAPTER IV.

"How reverend is the face of this tall pile,
Whose ancient pillars rear their marble heads
To bear aloft its arch'd and ponderous roof,
By its own weight made steadfast and immoveable--
Looking tranquillity. It strikes an awe
And terror on my aching sight; the tombs
And monumental caves of death look cold.
And shoot a chiliness to my trembling heart."

"MOURNING BRIDE."--CONGREVE.

During the ensuing three or four months, nothing occurred in
the course of our daily life, in any way worth recording. I
had spoken to my aunt of Alice Tracy in such a way as strongly
to excite her interest and curiosity about her, and from this
reason, as well as from the wish to give me pleasure, which
was at all times an all-sufficient inducement to her, she
wrote to her grand-mother to request that if she herself did
not feel inclined to come to Elmsley, she would at least allow
Alice to come and spend a day with us.

Mrs. Tracy wrote a brief answer to the purport that Alice was
gone away on a visit to some relations of her father, and was
therefore out of reach of the honour intended her.

My uncle received now and then a letter from Ed