should never escape her.
Her life should be one long vigilant device to enchain his being.

What was she five days past? Is it possible that she lived before she
met him? Of what did she think, what do? Could there be pursuits without
this companion, plans or feelings without this sweet friend? Life
must have been a blank, vapid and dull and weary. She could not recall
herself before that morning ride to Armine. How rolled away the day!
How heavy must have been the hours! All that had been uttered before she
listened to Ferdinand seemed without point; all that was done before he
lingered at her side, aimless and without an object.

O Love! in vain they moralise; in vain they teach us thou art a
delusion; in vain they dissect thine inspiring sentiment, and would
mortify us into misery by its degrading analysis. The sage may announce
that gratified vanity is thine aim and end; but the lover glances with
contempt at his cold-blooded philosophy. Nature assures him thou art a
beautiful and sublime emotion; and, he answers, canst thou deprive the
sun of its heat because its ray may be decomposed; or does the diamond
blaze with less splendour because thou canst analyse its effulgence?

A gentle rustling sounded at the window: Henrietta looked up, but the
sight deserted her fading vision, as Ferdinand seized with softness her
softer hand, and pressed it to his lips.

A moment since, and she had longed for his presence as the infant for
its mother; a moment since, and she had murmured that so much of the
morn had passed without his society; a moment since, and it had seemed
that no time could exhaust the expression of her feelings. How she had
sighed for his coming! How she had hoped that this day she might convey
to him what last night she had so weakly, so imperfectly attempted!
And now she sat trembling and silent, with downcast eyes and changing
countenance!

'My Henrietta!' exclaimed Ferdinand, 'my beautiful Henrietta, it seemed
we never should meet again, and yet I rose almost with the sun.'

'My Ferdinand,' replied Miss Temple, scarcely daring to meet his glance,
'I cannot speak; I am so happy that I cannot speak.'

'Ah! tell me, have you thought of me? Did you observe I stole your
handkerchief last night? See! here it is; when I slept, I kissed it and
wore it next my heart.'

'Ah! give it me,' she faintly murmured, extending her hand; and then she
added, in a firmer and livelier tone, 'and did you really wear it