uraging the fancy that it had somehow got entangled
in the branches, and had grown red in the face from struggling to get
out. But, ere the young people reached the scene of the entertainment,
the struggle was over; the perfect circle was calmly and radiantly
uplifting itself above the world, far beyond the reach of the
outstretched arms of the gnarled and black-limbed forest; yet did the
dark earth benefit by its defeat, in the chaste illumination which
descended upon its wintry countenance.

Mr. Reynolds was perfectly happy; it is pleasant to reflect how small an
amount of bliss can overflow some souls. Cornelia was brief but kind in
her answers to his turbid and confused pourings forth; not that she paid
heed to any thing the poor fellow said--she was only occasionally aware
of his presence. Her mind was revelling in dreams of heated and exalted
imagination; she was filled with inspiration, as with the rich,
palpitating blast of a mighty organ; but the tumultuous chorus of her
thoughts produced upon her an effect of magnetism which found its
expression in a gentle graciousness of words and manner.

She had made up her mind that the first person she should meet would be
Bressant; and, so full did she feel of victorious power, it seemed as
if, with scarcely a conscious effort, she could overbear and bring him
to her feet. Yes, and dictate the terms upon which she would consent to
receive his homage. What a pity that the key-notes of so few natures
correspond, at the critical moment, with our own; and that Providence
sees fit to forward, by even negative help, so small a proportion of our
superbly-conceived plans!

It was half-past eight when they drew up at the boarding-house door. No
sooner had Cornelia set foot within the threshold, and caught sight of
Abbie's face, than it was borne in upon her that Bressant was not there;
and the former, after questioning her about Sophie's non-appearance,
confirmed her fear. He had not come, nor was it now probable that he
would arrive before morning. It would have been useless to expect him by
the late train, due at half-past ten, since, to avail himself of that,
it would be necessary to make a difficult connection by walking two or
three miles from one railway to another.

After climbing to such a height, it was terrible to fall. Cornelia
had not allowed herself to anticipate the disaster, precisely because
it was so crashing. In a moment the great, rainbow-tinted bubble of h