an words. Mrs. Hamilton spoke in a voice so low, as to be
heard only by Caroline.

"Speak to me, love; tell me that St. Eval will be the husband of your
free, unbiased choice, and my fondest blessing shall be yours."
Caroline's answer was inaudible to all, save to the ear of maternal
affection, to her mother it was enough.

"Take her, St. Eval; my consent, my earnest wish to behold you united
has long been yours; may God in heaven bless you, my children, and make
you happy in each other!"

Solemnly she spoke; her earnestness was affecting, it struck to their
hearts; for a moment there was silence, which Mrs. Hamilton was the
first to break.

"Does my Caroline intend appearing at dinner in this costume?" she
asked, playfully, alluding to her daughter's morning dress. Startled and
blushing, Caroline, for the first time, perceived her mother was dressed
for dinner, and her father, determining to banish all appearance of
gravity, held up his watch, which pointed to some few minutes after the
usual dinner-hour. Glad to escape for a few minutes to the solitude of
her own room, Caroline hastily withdrew her hand from St. Eval's
detaining grasp, and smiling a brief farewell, brushed by Emmeline and
Ellen, who were that instant entering, without speaking indeed, but with
very evident marks of confusion, which Mr. Hamilton very quickly
explained to the extreme satisfaction of all parties.

Caroline was not long before she returned. Happiness had caused her eyes
to sparkle with a radiance her parents had not seen for many a long day;
and they felt as they gazed on her, now indeed was she worthy to be the
honoured wife of St. Eval, and their thoughts were raised in silent
unison to heaven for the blessing thus vouchsafed to them. And scarcely
could Mr. Hamilton restrain the emotion which swelled his bosom, as he
thought, had it not been for the untiring care, the bright example of
that mother, his child, instead of being a happy bride, might now have
been--he shuddered as he thought, and the inward words were checked, he
could not give them vent, they were hidden in the silent recesses of his
own breast; and did not that same thought dwell in the mind of his wife,
when she contrasted the present with the past? It did, but she looked
not on herself as the cause of her child's escape from wretchedness and
sin. Her efforts she knew would have been as naught, without the
blessing of Him whose aid she had ever sought; and if indeed