me; from my mind the illusion, which gave spirit to the colouring of
nature, is fading fast! If you live, my dear Blanche, to re-visit this
spot, at the distance of many years, you will, perhaps, remember and
understand the feelings of your father.'

Lady Blanche, affected by these words, remained silent; she looked
forward to the period, which the Count anticipated, and considering,
that he, who now spoke, would then probably be no more, her eyes, bent
to the ground, were filed with tears. She gave her hand to her father,
who, smiling affectionately, rose from his chair, and went to a window
to conceal his emotion.

The fatigues of the day made the party separate at an early hour,
when Blanche retired through a long oak gallery to her chamber, whose
spacious and lofty walls, high antiquated casements, and, what was the
effect of these, its gloomy air, did not reconcile her to its remote
situation, in this antient building. The furniture, also, was of antient
date; the bed was of blue damask, trimmed with tarnished gold lace,
and its lofty tester rose in the form of a canopy, whence the curtains
descended, like those of such tents as are sometimes represented in old
pictures, and, indeed, much resembling those, exhibited on the faded
tapestry, with which the chamber was hung. To Blanche, every object here
was matter of curiosity; and, taking the light from her woman to examine
the tapestry, she perceived, that it represented scenes from the wars
of Troy, though the almost colourless worsted now mocked the glowing
actions they once had painted. She laughed at the ludicrous absurdity
she observed, till, recollecting, that the hands, which had wove it,
were, like the poet, whose thoughts of fire they had attempted to
express, long since mouldered into dust, a train of melancholy ideas
passed over her mind, and she almost wept.

Having given her woman a strict injunction to awaken her, before
sun-rise, she dismissed her; and then, to dissipate the gloom, which
reflection had cast upon her spirits, opened one of the high casements,
and was again cheered by the face of living nature. The shadowy earth,
the air, and ocean--all was still. Along the deep serene of the heavens,
a few light clouds floated slowly, through whose skirts the stars now
seemed to tremble, and now to emerge with purer splendour. Blanche's
thoughts arose involuntarily to the Great Author of the sublime objects
she contemplated, and she breathed a pray