ould name to break her engagement with
Miller. But she laid his letters aside unanswered.

An early day for the marriage was named. The stay of Westfield at
the South was prolonged several months beyond the time at first
determined upon. He returned to Baltimore a month after the proposed
union of Anna with Miller had been consummated.

Although induced, from the blinding ardency of his feelings, to urge
Anna to break the engagement she had formed, this did not arise from
any want of regard in his mind to the sacredness of the marriage
relation. So suddenly had the intelligence of her contract with
Miller come upon him, coupled with the admission that if his
proposal had come a week earlier it might have been accepted, that
for a time his mind did not act with its usual clearness. But, when
the marriage of her he so idolized took place, Westfield, as a man
of high moral sense, gave up all hope, and endeavoured to banish
from his heart the image of one who had been so dearly beloved. On
his return to Baltimore, he did not attempt to renew his
acquaintance with Anna. This he deemed imprudent, as well as wrong.
But, as their circle of acquaintance was the same, and as the
husband and brother of Anna were his friends, it was impossible for
him long to be in the city without meeting, her. They met a few
weeks after his return, at the house of a friend who had a large
company. Westfield saw Anna at the opposite side of one of the
parlours soon after he came in. The question of leaving the house
came up and was some time debated. This he finally determined not to
do, for several reasons. He could not always avoid her; and the
attempt to do so would only make matters worse, for it would attract
attention and occasion remarks. But, although he remained with the
company, he preferred keeping as distant as possible from Anna. His
feelings were yet too strong. To meet her calmly was impossible, and
to meet her in any other way, would, he felt, be wrong. While he
thus thought and felt, the husband of Anna touched him on the arm
and said--

"Come! I must introduce you to my wife. You were one of her old
friends, but have not once called upon her since your return from
the South. She complains of your neglect, and, I think, justly.
Come!"

Westfield could not hesitate. There was no retreat. In a space of
time shorter than it takes to write this sentence, he was standing
before the young bride, struggling manfully for the mastery