f at the piano, and favoured him
with two of his favourite songs, in such superior style that even I soon
lost my anger in admiration, and listened with a sort of gloomy pleasure
to the skilful modulations of her full-toned and powerful voice, so
judiciously aided by her rounded and spirited touch; and while my ears
drank in the sound, my eyes rested on the face of her principal auditor,
and derived an equal or superior delight from the contemplation of his
speaking countenance, as he stood beside her--that eye and brow lighted
up with keen enthusiasm, and that sweet smile passing and appearing like
gleams of sunshine on an April day. No wonder he should hunger and
thirst to hear her sing. I now forgave him from my heart his reckless
slight of me, and I felt ashamed at my pettish resentment of such a
trifle--ashamed too of those bitter envious pangs that gnawed my inmost
heart, in spite of all this admiration and delight.

'There now,' said she, playfully running her fingers over the keys when
she had concluded the second song. 'What shall I give you next?'

But in saying this she looked back at Lord Lowborough, who was standing a
little behind, leaning against the back of a chair, an attentive
listener, too, experiencing, to judge by his countenance, much the same
feelings of mingled pleasure and sadness as I did. But the look she gave
him plainly said, 'Do you choose for me now: I have done enough for him,
and will gladly exert myself to gratify you;' and thus encouraged, his
lordship came forward, and turning over the music, presently set before
her a little song that I had noticed before, and read more than once,
with an interest arising from the circumstance of my connecting it in my
mind with the reigning tyrant of my thoughts. And now, with my nerves
already excited and half unstrung, I could not hear those words so
sweetly warbled forth without some symptoms of emotion I was not able to
suppress. Tears rose unbidden to my eyes, and I buried my face in the
sofa-pillow that they might flow unseen while I listened. The air was
simple, sweet, and sad. It is still running in my head, and so are the
words:--

Farewell to thee! but not farewell
To all my fondest thoughts of thee:
Within my heart they still shall dwell;
And they shall cheer and comfort me.

O beautiful, and full of grace!
If thou hadst never met mine eye,
I had not dreamed a living face
Could fancied cha