s a body of
low-minded and ill-designing traitors.
Thus, during the time that she remained alone, her thoughts were all
of him, and those thoughts were all sweet. Gratitude, it is true,
might derive a great portion of its brightness from love: but Laura
fancied that she had not said half enough in return for all that he
had done in her behalf: she fancied that she had scarcely spoken her
thanks sufficiently warmly, and she longed to see him again, to talk
over all that had taken place, to assure him of her deep, deep
gratitude, and, perhaps--though she did not acknowledge that purpose
to her own heart--to assure him also still more fully of her
unchanging affection. Laura had never felt, even in the least degree,
what love is before. She was not one of the many who trifle away
their heart's brightest affections piece by piece. She had given her
love all at once, and the sensation was the more overpowering.
At length, then, as the hour approached when she supposed he might be
likely to return, she rose and dressed herself, and perhaps that day
she thought more of her beauty than she had ever done before in life;
but it was not with any vain pleasure; for she thought of it only
inasmuch as it might please another whom she loved. We can all surely
remember how, when in the days of our childhood we have had some
present to give to a dear friend, we have looked at it and considered
it, and fancied it even more valuable and delightful than it really
was, with the bright hope of its appearing so to the person for whom
it was destined. Thus with her toilet, Laura let her maid take as
much pains as she would; and when she saw in the glass as lovely a
face and form as that instrument of vanity ever reflected, and could
not help acknowledging that it was so, she smiled with a pleasure
that she had never felt before, to think that beauty also was a part
of the dowry of bright things which she was to bring to him she
loved.
Though the maid was somewhat longer with her mistress's toilet than
usual, delaying it for a little, perhaps, with a view of obtaining
farther information than Lady Laura was inclined to give her, upon
all the events of the two or three days preceding, yet Laura was down
in the saloon some time before the dinner-hour, and she looked not a
little anxiously for the coming of Wilton. She was not inclined to
chide him for delay, for she knew that it would be no fault of his if
he were not there early. The Duke, not knowing that she had risen,
had gon