for me, I fhould

ftill gaze on ye, away!"

go in peace! He will gaze when I am far

The trees, that impended over the high banks of the road and formed a line of perspective with the diftant country, now threatened to exclude the view of them but the blueish mountains still appeared beyond the dark foliage, and Emily continued to lean from the coach window, till at length the clofing branches fhut them. from her fight.

Another object foon caught her attention. She had scarcely looked at a person who walked along the bank, with his hat, in which was the military feather, drawn over his eyes, before, at the found of wheels, he fuddenly turned, and the perceived that it was Valancourt himself, who waved his hand, fprung into the road, and through the window of the carriage put a letter into her hand. He endeavoured to finile through the despair that overfpread his countenance as fhe paffed on. The remembrance of

that

that fimile feemed impreffed on Emily's

mind for ever.

She leaned from the window, and faw him on a knoll of the broken bank, leaning against the high trees that waved over him, and pursuing the carriage with his eyes. He waved his hand, and the continued to gaze till distance confused his figure, and at length another turn of the road entirely feparated him from her fight.

Having stopped to take up Signor Cavigni at a chateau on the road, the travellers, of whom Emily was difrefpectfully feated with Madame Montoni's woman in a fecond carriage, purfued their way over the plains of Languedoc. The presence of this fervant restrained Emily from reading Valancourt's letter, for fhe did not choose to expofe the emotions it might occafion to the obfervation of any perfon. Yet fuch was her wish to read this his last communication, that her trembling hand was every moment on the point of breaking the feal.

At length they reached the village, where they stayed only to change horses, without alighting, and it was not till they ftopped to dine, that Emily had an opportunity of reading the letter. Though she had never doubted the fincerity of Valancourt's affection, the fresh affurances fhe now received of it revived her fpirits; the wept over his letter in tenderness, laid it by to be referred to when they fhould be particularly depreffed, and then thought of him with much lefs anguish than fhe had done fince they parted. Among fome other requefts, which were interefting to her, becaufe expreffive of his tenderness, and becaufe a compliance with them feemed to annihilate for a while the pain of absence, he entreated fhe would always think of him at fun-fet. "You will then meet me in thought," faid he; "I fhall conftantly watch the fun-fet, and I fhall be happy in the belief, that your eyes are fixed upon the - fame object with mine, and that our minds are converfing. You know not, Emily, the

comfort

comfort I promise myself from thefe moments; but I truft you will experience

it."

It is unneceffary to fay with what emotion Emily, on this evening, watched the declining fun, over a long extent of plains, on which she saw it fet without interruption, and fink towards the province which Valancourt inhabited. After this hour her mind became far more tranquil and refigned, than it had been fince the marriage of Montoni and her aunt.

During feveral days the travellers journeyed over the plains of Languedoc; and then entering Dauphiny, and winding for fome time among the mountains of that ro mantic province, they quitted their carriages and began to afcend the Alps. And here fuch scenes of fublimity opened upon them as no colours of language must dare to paint! Emily's mind was even so much engaged with new and wonderful images, that they fometimes bånifhed the idea of Valancourt, though they more frequently B 4

revived

revived it. Thefe brought to her recollection the profpects among the Pyrenées, which they had admired together, and had believed nothing could excel in grandeur. How often did fhe wish to express to him the new emotions which this aftonishing, fcenery awakened, and that he could partake of them! Sometimes too fhe endeavoured to anticipate his remarks, and almost imagined him prefent. She feemed to have arifen into another world, and to have left every trifling thought, every trifling fentiment, in that below; thofe only of grandeur and fublimity now dilated her mind, and elevated the affections of her heart.

With what emotions of fublimity, softened by tenderness, did fhe meet Valancourt in thought, at the customary hour of fun-fet, when, wandering among the Alps, the watched the glorious orb fink amid their fummits, his laft tints die away on their fnowy points, and a folemn obfcurity steal over the scene! And when the last gleam

had