nced my system, had I lost my studied
calmness. But the sight of her blood, dyeing her garments and the grass,
made me frantic. I tore away her vestments from the wound, pressed my
lips in an agony to the gash, and then, hastily stanching the blood,
bore her, nearly senseless as she was, in an embrace, the thrilling
energy of which can not be told, to a rivulet in the vicinity. Happily
the wound was but a lesion of the flesh, for which my surgery was
sufficient, and by the aid of stimulants she revived, subsequently
recovering without injury.

Since my fatal discovery in the conservatory, I had not before touched
her person, except for such courtesies as any gentleman may render a
lady of his acquaintance. Now, with my arms clasping her, my veins
throbbed as in a delirium. The tender light of her eyes, as she revived,
resulting partially from weakness and partially from a natural
thankfulness, moved me to the very point of prematurely throwing myself
at her feet and disclosing all. By a great throe I controlled myself. As
she resumed her natural condition, I fell back into that most ordinary
and common-place character,--a self-satisfied husband,--qualified
somewhat by sympathy and attention, of course, but without the least
infusion of sentiment.

Oh, if she had known of the volcano under this exterior! If she had
known how, at that moment, I could have exclaimed, 'Give me your love,
or here let us die!'

* * * * *

So, after various desultory wanderings, we returned home. Home! how I
dreaded it, for I knew the power of association--the effect of
localities and customary external habits on the feelings. You may take a
careworn, dyspeptic, melancholy man out for a week's excursion, and he
will show himself preeminent in all good fellowship. But as the familiar
sights gradually open on him at returning, you may see the shadows
flitting down upon his brow and entering his soul. How many good
resolutions of change and reform--of breaking old associations and
forming new ones--we make when absent from our usual haunts! How
impossible it becomes to realize them when we re-occupy the familiar
places!

* * * * *

But so it was, we reached home. All my anticipations were realized. The
old spirit, the old manner, were revived in my wife. At this time an
installment of pictures and statues from Italy came to hand. I welcomed
them as angels of mercy. When I annou