drew together when the boats were moored at the water's edge. Lady St. Leger looked at them for a moment. "I have changed my mind,” she said. "I think the pinnace will win. I shall return in the pinnace." "Then let me hand you in," said William Maitland. "And I will take compassion on you, Charley," said Violet Clare, as she seated herself by her cousin's side. "I hope you do not regret the change, Violet." "No; but perhaps you may," she replied, with a smile. “As if such a thing were possible." "I know something that is not possible," said Violet Clare. "Tell me, my fair cousin." "That such a heavy lumbering boat can beat us." "We must do our best-you shall steer." "But, see, they are beginning to get ahead of us already. We must get the start, and keep it," said Violet, stamping her tiny foot. "Yes; the breeze has freshened, and their sails are longer." "Can't you put on more sail any way?" "I don't wish to run any risk with you, my dear Violet." "Never mind the risk," said the highspirited young lady. "But, oh! don't let them beat us, I implore you." 66 Well, then, here goes," and as he spoke Charles Maitland fastened the lanyard, which held the sail, tight to the little vessel's side. "Bravo! Now we are shooting past them like a bird," said Violet. But at the moment a sudden gust of wind swept across the lake. The little vessel heeled to one side, the canvas strained as if it would break the mast. Charles Maitland sprang to release the lanyard, but he was too late in another instant they were in the water. It was fortunate that the Lieutenant was a good swimmer; he soon contrived to rescue the slender form of his cousin, having done which, he struck out boldly for the shore. "Don't be alarmed, dearest Violet," he said, "it will not be long before we are in shallow water, if the pinnace do not reach us in the meantime." But the pinnace had tacked for the purpose of weathering its rival; some time elapsed before it could be got round; and by the time it had reached the swimmer, the water was sufficiently shallow to relieve him from all apprehensions. "Thank God, you are safe, Violet," he said; "what a brave girl you are. I can carry you on shore now." "How do you feel, dearest?" inquired Lady St. Leger from the boat. "Rather frightened, but not much the worse for my cold bath. It was by no means agreeable," replied Violet. "Well, I should have imagined you found it rather pleasant than otherwise. But we must lose no time in getting home, or you will have a frightful cold, my poor child," said Lady St. Leger. No cold, however, was the consequence; nor did any result more serious follow from the disaster, than great wrath on the part of Sir Peregrine when he heard of the accident; and that the displeasure of the worthy baronet was founded on reasons which were substantial at least to him— will probably be discussed in the course of the succeeding chapter. LINES. BY COLERIDGE. IF I had but two little wings, But in my sleep to you I fly: I'm always with you in my sleep! Sleep stays not, though a monarch bids: TALES OF THE AFFECTIONS. BY THE COUNTESS D'ARDOUVILLE. THE VILLAGE DOCTOR. CHAPTER II. "ON entering the parlour of the mysterious mansion I was delighted with the spectacle which presented itself to my eyes. Everything was at once simple and elegant. The choicest ornament of this apartment was its flowers. So artistic was their arrangement that gold itself could not have more finely decorated the interior of the dwelling. What more was there than white muslin at the windows, white calico on the chairs and sofas? That was all. But here were roses, jasmines, and flowers of every sort, like as in a garden. The light was softened by the window curtains, the air revelled in the delicious odour of flowers; and reclining on a sofa a young girl or a young wife, fair and fresh as all that was about her, received me with a smile. A handsome young man, seated near her on an ottoman, rose up on the announcement of Dr. Barnaby.' "Sir,' said he, in a foreign accent, strongly marked, 'they speak so highly here of your skill, that I expected to see a gentleman bent with age.' "I have made my profession a study, sir,' I replied, and am fully sensible of its responsibility and importance. You may rely upon me.' 666 'Well,' he replied, 'I commit my wife to your attention, as her present condition requires some advice and care. She was born far from here, and has left her family and friends to be with me. For my part I can only aid her with my affection, but I have no experience. rely upon you, sir. Preserve her, if it be possible, from any suffering.' "In speaking these words the young man turned on his wife a look so full of love, that the large blue eyes of the fair stranger sparkled with tears of acknowledgment. She let fall the little child's cap that she was embroidering, and clasped her husband's hand in her own. "As I gazed upon them, I should think it was but natural, and their lot was to be envied; and yet I did not-I felt a sadness come over me, for which I could not account. I have often seen those weep of whom I have said, 'how happy they are!' And when I saw William Meredith and his wife smiling, I could not but think they had their sorrows. I took a seat beside my charming patient. Never have I seen anything so pretty as that intelligent face, surrounded by long curls of fair hair. "How old are you, madam?' "Seventeen years.' "In the distant country where you were born does the climate differ much from ours?' "I was born in America, at New Orleans. Oh, the sun there is more beautiful than here.' "Doubtless she dreaded that she had given utterance to a regret, for she added "But every country is beautiful where one is in the house of a husband, and near him, and expecting to give birth to his child.' "Her glance sought that of William Meredith; then, in a language I did not understand, she uttered some words so soft that they must have been words of love. After a short visit I retired, promising to return. "I did return, and by the end of two months I became almost a friend in the young family. Mr. and Mrs. Meredith were not selfish in their happiness, but had yet time to think of others. They could understand how the poor village Doctor, without any society but that of peasants, must regard the hour as a blessed one that he passed in listening to the language of refined life. They drew me towards them, told me all their travels; and moreover, with the ready confidence that characterises the young, related their story to me. It was the young wife that spoke. 666 "Far distant, Doctor,' she said, 'across the sea I have a father, sister, family, friends, who I loved long, even to the day when I loved William; but then I closed my heart against all who repulsed my lover. William's father forbade him to wed me, for he was of too high birth for the daughter of an American planter; and my father would not encourage William, for he was too proud to give his daughter to a man whose family could not receive her love. They wished to part us, but we loved each other. We prayed, wept, asked forgiveness from those to whom our obedience was due-yet still we loved! Doctor, have you ever loved? I wish you had, that you might feel for us. We were married in secret, and fled to France. Oh, how beautiful did the sea look to me during these early days of our love. She proved hospitable to the fugitive pair wandering in the midst of her waves. How happy were our days as under the shade of the great sails of the ship we thought of our friends' forgiveness, and saw nought but joy in the future. Alas! it was not so. They wished to pursue us, and indeed, by some irregularity or other in the formalities of our clandestine marriage, the ambitious family of William entertained the cruel thought of separating us. We have hidden ourselves in the middle of these mountains and forests, and dwell unknown under a name that is not our own. My father has never forgiven me-he has cursed me!. You now know, Doctor, the reason I cannot smile, even when near to my dear William!" "Heavens! what love was this. I never knew a heart so utterly given to another as the devotion of Eva Meredith to her husband. Whatever might be her occupation, she took care to place herself so, that by raising her eyes she could look towards, and see William. She only read the books he was reading-her head leaning on his shoulder, her eyes following the direction of William's glance, as if she wished the same thoughts to strike them at the same moment; and when I crossed the garden to reach the house, I used to smile, as I always saw on the gravel walk the trace of Eva's little foot by the side of that of William's. What a difference, ladies, between that house, old and solitary, as you now see it down there, to the beautiful dwelling-place of my young friends. How the walls were covered with flowers! What bouquets upon every table; what charming books, full of stories of love like their own! What happy birds singing all about them! How good it was to live there and be esteemed by those who loved each other so much. But they are right, you see, who tell us that happy times do not last long on this earth, and that as regards happiness, God, in His good purpose, never gives us but a little at one time. "One morning, Eva Meredith seemed to me to be ill. I questioned her with he interest I felt for her, when she said to me somewhat quickly : "Stay, Doctor, you need not go very far for the cause of my malady, nor even feel my pulse. It is my heart that beats too quickly. You will call me a child, Doctor; but I have had something to vex me this morning. William is about to leave me; he is going over to the other side of the mountain to obtain some money that has been sent to me.' "And when will he return?' I gently inquired. "She smiled, and almost blushed; and then with a look that seemed to say, 'Do not laugh at me,' replied this evening.' "I could not prevent a smile, despite her imploring look to the contrary. "At this moment, one of the domestics brought round to the entrance the horse Mr. Meredith was going to ride. Eva rose, went down into the garden, approached the horse, and while patting its mane, leant her head on the animal's neck; perhaps to conceal the tears that were escaping from her eyes. William came, and lightly leaping on his horse, raised his wife's head. "You baby,' he said, with a look of fondness, as he kissed her forehead. "It is only, William, because we have never left each other for so long a time before.' "Mr. Meredith bent his head towards that of Eva, and again imprinted a kiss on her beautiful fair curls; then clapping spurs to his horse, went off at a gallop. I am convinced that he also partook of her emotion. Nothing is so contagious as the weakness of people we love. Tears create tears; and is no very admirable courage that requires us to turn a dry eye upon the object of our love when weeping. "I departed; and when I entered the chamber of my humble home, sat myself down to meditate on the great happiness of loving. I asked myself if ever an Eva would come to share my poor dwelling. I never thought of examining whether I should ever be worthy of being loved. Now, when one looks at the beings who are so devoted to each other, it is easy to see that it is not for so many things, or for good reasons, that they love so well; they love because it is a necessity to them inevitable. They love, because of their own hearts; not from regard to others. Well, it is a lucky chance that sends one heart to meet another that has need of it so, I thought of looking out for myself, and of finding, absolutely just as in my morning walks I might perhaps have met some pleasant sweet-smelling flower by the road side. "Such were my musings, though perhaps the feeling is one not highly laudable, that makes us, at the sight of another's happiness, regret that we ourselves have not the same. Does not this sentiment partake of envy? and if joys could be stolen as men steal gold, would not our thoughts be near leading us to larceny? "The day was over, and I was just finishing my frugal supper, when a message came from Mrs. Meredith, requesting my presence. In five minutes I was at the gate of the white house. I found Eva, still alone, seated on a sofa, without her work, without a book, pale, and trembling with agitation. 666 "You are come, Doctor; you are come,' she said to me in her gentle voice; 'I could not remain alone any longer. See how late he is! It is more than two hours since he ought to have been here, and he has not yet returned!' "The prolonged absence of Mr. Meredith surprised me; but to re-assure his wife, I replied gently-How can we know the time his business would occupy him, when he had once reachedthe town? He may have had to wait; perhaps the notary was absent. He had papers to draw up and sign.' "Ah, Doctor! I knew you would say some words of comfort to me. I did not hesitate to send for you; I wanted to hear some one tell me that it was not wise to tremble in this manner. Great heavens! how long has been this day. Doctor, is it possible that there are people can live always alone? Do they not always die just 'She took my arm and walked towards the gate that closed the little garden. I endeavoured to withdraw her attention to the surrounding objects. She answered me at first just as a child obeys; but I could see her thoughts were not with her words. Her looks remained anxiously fixed on the green gate, still standing half open, since William's departure. She went and leant upon the palings, and then suffered me to go on talking, thanking me from time to time with a smile; for, as the time went on, she wanted courage to reply to me. Her eyes followed in the heavens the setting of the sun, and the gray tints that succeeded the glaring of his rays sufficiently marked the march of time. All around had become sombre; the road across the forest, the white line of which we had hitherto been able to distinguish, disappeared from our eyes in the shade of the lofty trees, and the clock of the village struck nine. Eva started: I myself felt as if each stroke fell upon my heart. I pitied what the wife must be suffering. "Consider, madam,' I answered-not that she had spoken, but I addresed my answer to the anxiety that spoke in her every feature-consider that Mr. Meredith can only return at a walking pace. The ways across the forest are interspersed with rocks that preclude all fast riding.' I said this only for the sake of reassuring her; but the fact was, that I knew not how to explain William's absence. I, who knew the distance, also knew that I could have gone twice to the town and back since he had left home. The dew of evening began to penetrate our garments, and especially the muslin robes of the young wife. I took her arm again and led her to the house. She followed me with gentleness. Hers was a weak nature, where all was in submis sion, even grief. She walked slowly, her head bowed down, her eyes fixed on the traces left by the hoofs of her husband's horse in the gravel. But how mournful was it to us both to return thus at night, and still without William! In vain we essayed to listen: all nature lay in the deep silence that nothing disturbs in the country when once night has fallen. How every feeling of anxiety becomes augmented at such a time! The earth appears so mournful in the midst of the darkness that it seems to tell us how all in life may be thus obscured. It was the sight of this young wife that gave rise to such a reflection in my mind. Of myself alone I should never have had such a thought. "We reached the house. Eva sat down on a couch, where she remained motionless, her hands clasped upon her knees, her head bowed on her bosom. There was a lamp on the chimney-piece, and the light fell upon her face. Never have I forgotten its expression of intense grief. She was palequite pale; her forehead and her cheeks were of the same colour. The damp of the evening had taken the curl from her hair, and it fell in disorder over her shoulders. Tears rose under her eyelids, and the tremor of her pale lips sufficiently showed the effort she was making to avoid giving her sorrows full course. She was so young that her soft face resembled that of a child forbidden to cry. "I began to feel troubled, and knew not how to keep my countenance before Mrs. Meredith. On a sudden I called to mind→ it was just a doctor's thought-that Eva, in the midst of all these anxieties, had not taken anything since the morning, and that this privation of all nourishment was imprudent in her condition. At the first hint I gave on the subject, she raised her eyes to me with an expression of reproach; and this time the movement of her eyelids gave liberty to her tears to roll down her cheek. "For your child's sake, madam,' said I. "Ah, you are right,' she murmured, and rose to pass into the dining-room; but in the dining-room there were covers for two placed on the little table, and this, at the moment, seemed to me so sad that I stood without speaking a word, without making a movement. The inquietude which was now gaining upon me rendered me quite |