oing to be happy. Her own gain was almost too
great for gratitude: a home, a brother, and relief from the
responsibility of her sister's peace--as often as she thought of these
blessings, she looked almost as bright as Hester herself.

How was Mr Hope, all this while? Well, and growing happier every day.
He believed himself a perfectly happy man, and looked back with wonder
to the struggle which it had cost him to accept his present lot. He was
not only entirely recovered from his accident before the rich month of
October came in, but truly thankful for it as the means of bringing to
his knowledge, sooner at least, the devoted affection which he had
inspired. It cannot but be animating, flattering, delightful to a man
of strong domestic tendencies, to know himself the object of the
exclusive attachment of a strong-minded and noble-hearted woman: and
when, in addition to this, her society affords the delight of mental
accomplishment and personal beauty, such as Hester's, he must be a churl
indeed if he does not greatly enjoy the present, and indulge in sweet
anticipations for the future. Hope also brought the whole power of his
will to bear upon his circumstances. He dwelt upon all the happiest
features of his lot; and, in his admiration of Hester, thought as little
as he could of Margaret. He had the daily delight of seeing how he
constituted the new-born happiness of her whose life was to be devoted
to him: he heard of nothing but rejoicings and blessings, and fully
believed himself the happy man that every one declared him. He dwelt on
the prospect of a home full of domestic attachment, of rational pursuit,
of intellectual resource; and looked forward to a life of religious
usefulness, of vigorous devotedness to others, of which he trusted that
his first act of self-sacrifice and its consequences were the earnest
and the pledge. He had never for a moment repented what he had done;
and now, when he hastily recurred to the struggle it had cost him, it
was chiefly to moralise on the short-sightedness of men in their wishes,
and to be grateful for his own present satisfaction. A few cold
misgivings had troubled him, and continued to trouble him, if Hester at
any time looked at all less bright and serene than usual: but he
concluded that these were merely the cloud-shadows which necessarily
chequer all the sunshine of this world. He told himself that when two
human beings become closely dependent on each other, t