The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, 1906-01-19
HE MYS TERIES OF
= UDOLPHQ.
4 ROMANCE BY ANN RATCLTrE

whose shade they now sat, she remem-
bered how often she had sat thus with
st. Aubert, and heard him express
the same admiration.
This was favourite tree With
dear father, said slie: he ,lstd
br sill Under It's foliage Nth his f,m,
ly about him, in the fine evenings
summer.
Vslancour' understood hccfe -
and was silent; had she raised =
eyes from the ground She would hav,
seen tears In his. He rose, and lean,
on the wall of the terrace fr
i'ch. me r-s momert~, y -ttt
g q ..:S, eal, tine rv>, sv,in tnsi 4.
peared to be greatly agitaiee:
while Emily found her spirits 81
much depressed, that severa
of her attempts to renew tn,
conversation were Intellectual. Val
Ancourt again sat down. but was
still silent, and trembled. At length
ne laid. with a hesitating voice, This
lovely scene! am going to leave
leave you-perhapsf for ever! These
moments may never return;I cannot
resolve to neglect, though I scarcely
iare to avail myself of them. Let me,
however, without offending the del
,cacy OF your sorrow venture to de-
;lares the admiration / must always
feel Of your goodncss.-Oi that at
me future period l might be per
1itted To call 1t love.
Emily's emotion would not suffer
er to reply; and Valancourb, wnu
low ventured to look up, observing
ler countenance change, expected to
see her faint, and made an invuIun-
ary effort to support her, which re-
called Emily to a sense Of her Sit
uation, and to an eXertion of her
spirits. Valancourt did not appear TO
notice her indlspositiop, but, when he
spoke again, his voice told the tender
80 love. l Will not presume, he add
"a, 70 intrude this subject longer upot
your attention at this Time, but may
perhaps be permitted to mention, thai
| these parting moments would lose
much of their bitterness il might be
allowed to hope the declaration l
have made would not exclude me
fiom your presence in future.
Emily made another effort to over
come the confusion Of her thoughts
ind to speak. She feared to trust tn,
preference her heart acknowledged
towards ,Valancourt, and to give hin
any encouragement for hope, on 8
tShnrt ZAP .afr9uaintance. az For though
IN THIS narrow perioo She had obSes-5u
much that was admirable IN his taste
and disp- sition, and though these OBJ
'ervations had been sanctioned by the
opinion Of her father, they were not
sufficient testimonies of his general
worth to determine her upon a SUBJ
Ject so Infinitely important to her fu-
ture happiness as that, which now So
iicited her attention. Yet. though
the thought Of dismissing Valan-
court was so very painful to her, that
she could scarcely endure to pause .up
on 1t. the consciousness of this made
her fear the partialitv of her Judge
ment, and hesitate still more to en-
courage that suit. for which her own
heart too tenderly pleaded. The fam
lily of Valancourt. if not his circum-
stances, had been known to her father
aud known to be unexceptlonable. or
MS circumstances, Valancourt him.
self limited as far as delicacy would
permit. when he said that he had at
present little else to offer but a heart
that adored her. He had solicited
only for distant hope, that she could
not resolve to forbid, though she
scarcely dared topermit it; at length,
she acquired courage to say, that she
must think herself honored by the
good opinion Of any person, whom lher
father had esteemed.
And Was /, then, thought worthy OF
his esteem? said Valancourt, in a
voice trembling with anxiety; then
checking himself, he added, But par
NNAi ohS 4oSobiOu, SCdECSlY KNOW
what l say. If might dare to hope,
hat you think me not unworthy such
honor, and might be permitted some
times to enquire after your health, l
shall now leave you with comparative
tranquility.
Emily, after a moments silence,
said, Will be ingenious with you,
for know you will consider it as a
proof of my-my esteem that / am so.
Though / live here in what was nv
fathers house, like here alone. /
nave. alasl no longer a parent-a
parent, whose presence might sane
Jion your visits. 1t is unnecessary
for me to point out the impropriety
Jf my receiving them.
Nor will affect to be insesible of
his, replied Valancourt, adding
nournfully- but what is to console
me for my candor? distress you, and
would now leave the subject, il /
might carry with me hope of being
Inpna ftp,a yaarpoiffad ,oro,, -,