Year: 1867

prised, except perhaps myself.
Your mother was many years my
senior, and though an angel In dispo-
sition, she had never been remarkable
| for beauty; neither was she accom-
| plished; and she therefore regarded
me as marvel, and thought no posi-
ton too high for me to aspire to. My
father shared her enthusiasm, and
the consequence was. when occasion
ally came to spend month or two at
the quiet country rectory, was treat
ed as a kind of divinity by my own
family, and feted and admired as a
superior being by the quiet country
neighbors.


In justice to myself, however, 1
must say that, although naturally
enough | was willing and pleased to
be hattered, my head was not altogeth-
er turned by it; and | had acquired
enough worldly knowledge in my Lon
| don experiences to know that beauty
was not the sole charm by which hus-
bands were to be won,-especial!y
noble husbands,-or fate ruled. And
when, therefore, Lord Rutherford
asked me to be his wife. [ was very
much delighted and certainly little
surprised.


l accepted him without moments
| hesitation; or rather, [ should say, |
accepted his coronet and fortune; for
of himself, except as necessary ap-
pendage to these desirable blessings,
| thought nothing.


He was dark, and stern, and rather
cold in manner; and certainly had he
been simple nobody / should never
have dreamed of preferring him to
light-hearted captain Of dragons who
happened to be staying in the neigh
borhood, and who for some time had
been paying me devoted attention.


Guy DeVeril was one of those men
to whom the term 8 fascinating may
be truly applied. He certainly thor
oughly understood the art Of making
himsalf agreeable; and if he did not
win hearts quite so quickly or con-
stantly as he fancied, he won without
difficulty those first vivid fancies which
a little constancy on his part could
soon have made firm, even fierce,
love.


L certainly liked Guy better than
Lord Rutherford, and it was rather a
trial at first to have to give him up as
my constant companion in walking
and riding, and take dark, stern Eus-
tace instead; but the coronet kept me
firm for the first few days, and then
gradually my betrothed's S truly noble
character became more revealed, and
if [ did not love him enthusiastically,
/ learned to respect and honor him,
as well as to appreciate his refined
and Intellectual conversation.


The more was with him, too. the
higher grew this esteem; and, in just
ice to myself. must say, that though
| felt my own nature was scarcely fit
to soar with his, [ made vigorous
efforts to make myself more worthy of
him.


] was clever after style of my own,
and perhaps really more acute in my
appreciation of character than Lord
Rutherford, and | clearly saw that he
did not comprehend me; [ saw that
he worshipped rather some ideal
standard of female perfection which
he imagined developed in me than
my real true self.


But this panied me.


In the first place, | was too sincere
to wish to deceive him; but at the
same time I was afraid of his sudden
ly becoming aware of my inferiority
and ceasing this devoted worship.


In spite of my disquietude, how
ever, the courtship proceeded very
quietly for some weeks, and things
were advancing satisfactorily towards
the consummation of all our hopes.
The wedding day was fixed, my trous-
seau. was nearly ready, the sojourn for
the honeymoon was decided on, and
as far as human ken could reach
nothing appeared which could posi-
bly, interfere with the event which
and make me the wife of dark, stern
Eustace Rutherford.


My aunt paused a moment, and
looking dreamily out over the distant
s3ene of orchard and garden, dimly
glimmering in the last faint rays of
the red sunset, sighed sadly.


seem to see those scenes of the
past still. / could almost fancy that
figure pacing there beneath on the
lawn and pausing every now and then
to look at this window, was that of
Eustace Rutherford. It was just
such an evening, / remember, when
as [ sat there on that seat, Mabel,
over which hangs that rich lahurnum,
Twas startled by Eustace's hurrying
sp in a breathless state, and seizing
my hand, exclaiming, Magdalen, [
must leave you; my mother has been
taken dangerously i'll and | must go
to her. have only an instant to say
good by. but | will write. and then,
before / could say word, he had
kissed me hastily and was gone.