sighs escaped him, and solitude he would seek in the recesses of a neighbouring wood but the moment Matilda appeared, he flew to meet her, and by the tenderest caresses endeavoured to banish the suspicions she might have formed. For a long time she was apprehensive that she herself was the cause of these sad reveries; unable to comprehend that a happy and contented love could produce effects which she experienced not.

Having one day, in order to surprise him, concealed herself in a thicket, to which she knew he was to come, she heard him pronounce these words, accompanied with tears : "What a wretched fate is mine! In the midst of affluence, beloved by the loveliest of women, on whom I confer all the happiness that can depend on me and yet I-I myself cannot be happy !” Matilda, bursting from the hedge, and embracing Marlines: "You cannot be happy," she exelaimed, "Oh! Heavens! tell me-tell me what I can do to dissipate your griefs. Tell me what sacrifices you require of me. There are none, my life not excepted, that I am not ready to make." Marlines, astonished at this unexpected address, loaded her with caresses, and besought her to be calm. Matilda, trembling, intreated him to inform her whether she was not the innocent cause of his sufferings. “No,” said he, " you alone could dissipate my chagrins, were they not of a mature that no remedy can cure.'

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Matilda now became melancholy in her turn. She reproached the Count with not reposing that confidence in her that she merited. Why," said he, "should you wish me to communicate griefs to you, that ought to be only mine."-" Grief insensibly vanishes in the communication; and am I not certain of your love? Of what then can I be apprehensive? Speak, I beseech you. Your silence is yet more cruel than the severest truths you can have to tell me.' '—" By our sacred love I intreat you to set some bounds to curiosity. It hath been fatal to many a wife, endued with too much sensibility."- "You make me tremble; and with what can my delicacy be alarmed? Assure me that you love me, and do not fear to afflict me"-" But, ah! if in this fatal confidence you should learn that you have a rival ?" -"No matter; although you should prefer a rival to me, I will yet fear nothing: You have a noble heart, and my unceasing affection shall at length induce you to forget her."-" Oh! my adorable wife, how excellent you are! I will tell you all. A longer silence would be treason to you."

"I love you, my dear Matilda, with the tenderest affection ; but before our parents, unknown to us, had formed our happy union, love, virtue, and beauty, had conspired against my heart: I loved, without hope, an object which is the torment of my life, and which in vain I endeavour to banish from my thoughts."

I did not experience the power of love, till I had attained my eighteenth year. One of my friends, who was going to be mar

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ried, in Province, wrote to me to buy some jewels on this occasion. I entered into the first jeweller's shop, and while I was disputing the price, with the jeweller, his daughter appeared. I was struck with her modesty and her beauty, and some words she spoke to her father, affected my whole heart. Her voice, her air, her slightest movement, had something inexpressibly enchanting. Nature has doubtless ordered it, that every man should be sensible to a particular kind of beauty. I had seen women more beautiful than Sophia; but not one had made the impression which I then experienced. She could not fail to perceive the sensations of my heart; and, blushing with unaffacted lovliness, she retired. I had all the difficulty imaginable to tear myself from the facinating spot. The image of Sophia pursued me every where. I returned many times to her father's shop, under pretence of buying more jewels. I contracted an acquaintance with her mother, and was charmed to see every thing virtuous in this family. I had been hitherto unable to speak to Sophia, but in the presence of her parents; but one day the happy moment arrived, when she was alone in the shop. I entered trembling. As soon as she saw me, she seemed disconcerted, and before I could ask her a single question, told me with a fatering voice and downcast eyes, that her parents were gone out. Charming Sophia,' said I, 'It is not them I seek it is you only, you, who have robbed me of my repose and my liberty; you, without whom I cannot exist.'I am quite concerned," answered Sophia, innocently, that I have been the cause of such uneasiness, since it is not in my powerful to remove it.'Ah! Sophia, you alone can remove it. Tell me only that my passion does not displease you, and I shall think myself the happiest of men.'- Your passion! Ah! Sir, young as you are, and formed to please the handsomest of your own rank, I can never imagine that you seriously think of a girl in my situation,' -Rank, my Sophia, is nothing. Nature and love never knew any other than virtue and beauty. You possess these; you are formed to reign in every heart.'- Ah! Sir, at your age one may be inattentive to the prejudices of the world. No, Sophia. You are the first that has taught me that I have a heart, and I know my heart too well not to swear to you, that these sentiments can never be effaced.'-'I believe you are sincere, and I will speak with equal sincerity. I confess, that, without being ambitious, you lead me to wish that my rank were equal to yours, or that yours were as low as mine. But as this circumstance is unalterable, it is with regret that I see the necessity we are under of absolutely renouncing each other. I anı determined never to encourage a passion, that would sully my honour, or destroy your fortune. Adieu, Sir, we must avoid each other." "At these words, Sophia called some person into the shop, and immediately retired but I perceived, notwithstanding her

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seeming firmness, some marks of agitation, and some tears, which she could not conceal. I left the shop a moment after, overwhelmed with grief. From this moment she avoided all conversation with me. In vain were all my efforts, till I learned one day, that she was to go to a ball with her mother, on occasion of the marriage of one of her friends, the daughter of a rich goldsmith. This was an entertainment to which the father invited all the persons of quality whom he served, as is customary in Paris. I contrived that the Marquis de -, who was invited, should introduce me into the party, but without acquainting him with my views. The master of the house received us with a noble welcome; and I could not but observe, that the easy gaiety, the respectful manners, and the good sense, which reigned in this assembly, were far preferable to the airs of importance without dignity, and the unintelligible small talk of what is called good company.

"I had no difficulty to discover Sophia in the crowd. I approached her under cover of my mask, and snatching the first moment in which I could speak to her at liberty, I described all my sufferings since she had condemned me to forget her. < Command me,' said I, what is within my power to obey. And is it then such a crime to love you? Can the most rigid virtue be offended with secret homage? Even the most powerful Monarchs have no empire over hearts. Forget you! No, Sophia! never. In vain, when I follow you, do you affect indifference and disdain. In vain, when I meet your eyes, do you avert them with anger.'-Ah! Sir, how remote is my heart from the harsh sentiments you imagine! Happy would it be for me if I could entertain such in reality.' What do you say, my charming Sophia? And have I been so supremely happy as to inspire you with similar sentiments. But, why then do you thus avoid me? Because I owe it to your happiness-we can never be united. Love has worked greater miracles than this. Ah! if the tenderest assiduities, if the sharing of my fortune could but conquer these prejudices-.'

"At these words, Fortune and Prejudices, Sophia gave me a severe and chilling look. Do, I understand you rightly? Would you have the baseness of those wretches, who never approach our sex but with dishonourable views? What opinion must you have formed of me, if you can imagine that I would grant that to your degrading gifts, which I would refuse to your virtues ? Ah!' I exclaimed, on what foundation do you accuse me of entertaining such humiliating ideas? If I offer to divide my fortune with you, it is with the title of wife to the most ardent of lovers. Oh! no, that can never be. I should disgrace the man I love.' Treat me with as much rigour as you please, but never impute such unworthy sentiments to me. Yes, tell me this moment that you will be mine, and to-morrow I

will demand your parents' consent. I will marry you in spite of

Joy seemed to sparkle in Sophia's eyes. But it was momentary. A melancholy reverie succeeded, and some tears stole down her lovely cheeks. At length, breaking a painful silence, she desired a month in order to consider of this important step; and that I might have all the time that was requisite to deliberate on the consequences of such an unequal match, she required that during this interval I should absolutely avoid her. • Believe me,' she added, what I demand is essential to your happiness.' These words, which I interpreted as favourable to my hopes, induced me to accede to her demands, and the next day I retired into the country.

"Never was an absence from the object of the most passionate love supported more agreeably. The given period I doubted not would be the commencement of my happiness. Three weeks had passed, and I counted the hours that delayed our union, when I received this letter."

The Count, presenting the letter to Matilda, entreated her to read it, as the subject was too affecting for him. It was as follows" The sacrifice, which I owed to the most generous of men, is now accomplished. Your love was on the point of ruining you, and all my life I should have had to repoach myself with being the cause of that ruin. I had every thing to fear for myself: a little more, and perhaps I had become your accomplice. But for the sacred principles of religion, of the two expedients which remained to deliver you from me, perhaps I might have preferred death itself to the step which I have taken. Whatever tenderness you might have for me, I question whether it can equal that which I feel for you. I have hesitated to make this confession. If, on the one hand, it may heighten your regrets, on the other it gives you an example of the duties which honour requires. Such a marriage as you had determined upon would have embroiled you with your family beyond the hope of reconciliation. And with what face could you have seen me exposed to the contempt of your relations? Could we have remained unmoved by the consideration that we were the cause of unspeakable grief to a venerable mother, and perhaps even of her death? For that grief, which has its source in rooted prejudices, how absurd however, is more exquisitely pungent than that which springs from the real misfortunes incident to human life. Your uncles, of whose vast estates you are now the heir, would have altered the succession in favour of other relations. You would have been plunged into variety of misery, and I should have had the guilty consciousness of being the author of your distresses, by having taken an unworthy advantage of an inconsiderate passion. Perhaps this passion would have enabled you, in the earlier years of marriage, to support these misfor

tunes but beauty fades away, and while passion cools, the force of prejudice remains. And though you might have continued superior to prejudice till death, your children would yet be sensible to its force. They would have had a right to reproach their mother with having sullied the nobleness of their blood. You think too justly not to regard these prejudices in the same light that I do but ridiculous as they are, they reign with universal sway; and the wise man, who despises them, is not less obliged to make them the rule of his conduct, than the fool who applauds them.

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"A man of my own rank had demanded me in marriage a long time since. I esteemed, but could not love, and my heart was quite averse to this union. My parents, who had not a wish but for my happiness, and who perceived how little I was disposed to favour this young man, attempted not to importune me. You had no sooner left Paris, than I furnished him with an opportunity of renewing his addresses. He eagerly embraced it, and I delighted him with an unexpected attention to his professions: bnt incapable of dissimulation, I opened my whole heart to him. I avowed that I did not feel that love for him which his passion for me so truly merited. I added, that if he had such a favourable opinion of me, as to hope that my unceasing attachment to my duties, with time, and gratitude for his affectionate attentions, could inspire me with sentiments more worthy of his delicacy, I was ready to give him my hand. This poor young man, who loved me to distraction, snatched this hand, and bathed it with his tears he then led me to my mother, and, scarce able to express his joy, 'She is mine,' he exclaimed, if you consent.' From this moment the marriage was concluded upon. But my fortitude now abandoned me. For fifteen days my struggle had nearly terminated my life. But I triumphed at last, and but yesterday I swore a fidelity to my husband that can end only in the grave. I am sensible how severely you will feel this blow, but it was necessary; and it is perhaps the greatest effort of which true love was capable. Had I loved you for myself alone, I should have accepted your offer without hesitation; but I have been intent upon nothing but your felicity. My heart enjoys the noble triumph, while it is yet sensible to severe regrets, and I suffer more from the idea of your griefs than of my own. Adieu, Sir. Recollect the sacred obligations into which I have now entered. They are irrevocable. Recollect what you owe to yourself, to your family, and to the world. Your esteem will ever be dear to me.'

"You see," resumed the Count, "the cause of that melancholy which has so long distressed my happiest moments with you. The letter you have read affected me to such a degree, that for twenty-four hours my senses failed me. I fell into a kind of lethargy, which lasted several days. However, nature and