ness of wedded
love."

"Is love so strong as to endure every thing?" she asked.

"It is so divine as to forgive every thing," I answered.

"Well! you are an angel, and I will try to set a guard on these wild
lips, so that they shall not say aught to wound that dear, precious,
blessed little heart of yours. I will be just as good as I can be; and
if I forget myself once in a while, you must forgive me,--for the old
Adam is in me yet. There, how does that look?"

She had dressed herself in a plain white muslin, with a white sash
carelessly tied; and a light fall of lace was the only covering to her
magnificent arms and neck.

"Why, you look like a bride, Margaret," said I. "Surely, you must think
Mrs. Linwood is going to have a party to-night. Never mind,--we will all
admire you as much as if you were a bride. Let me twist some of these
white rosebuds in your hair, to complete the illusion."

I took some from the vase that stood upon my toilet, and wreathed them
in her black, shining locks. She clapped her hands joyously as she
surveyed her image in the mirror; then laughed long and merrily, and
asked if she did not look like a fool.

"Do you think there is any thing peculiar in my dress?" she suddenly
asked, pulling the lace rather strenuously, considering its gossamer
texture. "I do not wish to look ridiculous."

"No, indeed. It is like Edith's and mine. We always wear white muslin in
summer, you know; but you never seemed to care much about dressing here
in the country. I never saw you look so well, so handsome, Madge."

"Thank you. Let us go down. But, stop one moment. Do you think Mrs.
Linwood will think it strange that I should come here with Mr. Regulus?"

"No, indeed."

"What do you think she will say about our--our engagement?"

"She will be very much pleased. I heard her say that if you should
become attached to a man of worth and talents such as he possesses, you
would become a good and noble woman."

"Did she say that? Heaven bless her, body and soul. I wonder how she
could have any trust or faith in such a Greenland bear as I have been. I
will not say _am_, for I think I have improved some, don't you?"

"Yes! and I believe it is only the dawn of a beautiful day of
womanhood."

Margaret linked her arm in mine with a radiant smile and a vivid blush,
and tripped down stairs with a lightness almost miraculous. Mr. Regulus
was standing at the foot of the stairs leaning on the bannisters, in a
mu