"See! the carriage drives away again; Edgar has left a parcel," continued Bertha, and she ran out of the room to meet the servant who brought it. A little note contained these words:

"I send my beloved Emily some of our family jewels. The pearls, love, are less delicately fair than thou, and cannot add to thy beauty, yet wear them for the sake of thine adoring

L."

The bride's maids eagerly opened the case, but started back with affrighted looks and exclamations of horror. Emily bent forward to discover the cause of their alarm, and beheld a set of jet ornaments. She was not superstitious, yet who can wonder that the colour forsook her cheeks, and a sick, faint feeling came over her. She strove to conquer it, however, and succeeded.

The time had arrived for the party to assemble at the church. Lord L. met his bride at the door of the sacred edifice, and perceiving her neck and arms were unadorned, "Why," said he, "did not my Emily wear my bridal gift; surely the ornaments were meet to adorn her on her nuptial day?"

The brow of the gentle maiden, which had the previous moment worn a smile of chastened sadness, became overcast. The sad recollection of Albert obtruded on her heart, and she muttered to herself, "Yes! funereal embleins are meet for her whose heart is in the grave."

But L. heard her not, for his sisters were chidingly telling him of the strange and disagreeable mistake he had made in sending a mourning suit, instead of one of orient pearls. He naturally felt considerable annoyance; but at this moment they were called to the altar, and

in a few minutes the vows were pronounced which bound him for life to the object of his ardent affection.

Congratulations passed round. I need not pause to describe the dejeuné, nor the company. Emily changed her bridal attire for a more usual style of dress; and the next day's paper announced that "the happy pair left town, in a travelling chariot and four, for L. Hall, the bridegroom's splendid seat in Herts.” .

Nothing could exceed the kindness and devoted attention shown by Lord L. to his beautiful Emily; and she felt the deepest gratitude towards him, but she could not reciprocate his passion. The idea that she had broken her vows to Albert haunted her; and her health and spirits declined daily. At the end of a fortnight, they returned to town. Mrs. F. assisted Lord L. to nurse the gentle patient, and his fair sisters strove to amuse her mind, but in vain. To them, as well as their brother, the cause of her too evident grief was a mystery.

On the 12th of June, many of those who that day month had assisted at the wedding, were again assembled in the same church. The same minister officiated; but now as he opened the book his hand trembled, and tears rendered his voice scarcely audible as he read the burial service! The remains of the fair and gentle Emily were committed to the earth. And her fond husband, knew he what had slain her?

him :

Yes; she left these lines for

"I have striven, but in vain, dear Edgar, to bear up against my grief. The effort was beyond my strength. Forget me, and seek in a union with another that bliss

which there was but little hope of your finding with her whose heart has long been in the tomb. Forgive me, dear, kind Edgar. Indeed, indeed, I strove to be happy, and it was not your fault I was not so. You knew how I had loved Albert. I never could speak to you on the subject, but my mother told me all you said. Heaven bless you, and assist you in a second and more fortunate choice. EMILY."

"And I have killed her," said he, when he had perused the scroll. "Had she remained faithful to her first vows, she might have lived for years."

"Dear Edgar," urged his sisters," you knew not of her previous attachment. On her mother and brothers rests the blame."

Edgar mournfully shook his head and left the room.

66

Poor, dear brother," said Fanny, "he deserved a happier fate."

More than a year after, Lord L. and his sisters were met by some English travellers at Nice. He was there for the restoration of his health, and hoping to find in change of scene a balm to sooth his griefs.