od
of his life, the care of his education and of his small portion had
devolved to his brother, the Count de Duvarney, his senior by nearly
twenty years. Valancourt had been educated in all the accomplishments
of his age, and had an ardour of spirit, and a certain grandeur of
mind, that gave him particular excellence in the exercises then thought
heroic. His little fortune had been diminished by the necessary expences
of his education; but M. La Valancourt, the elder, seemed to think that
his genius and accomplishments would amply supply the deficiency of his
inheritance. They offered flattering hopes of promotion in the military
profession, in those times almost the only one in which a gentleman
could engage without incurring a stain on his name; and La Valancourt
was of course enrolled in the army. The general genius of his mind was
but little understood by his brother. That ardour for whatever is great
and good in the moral world, as well as in the natural one, displayed
itself in his infant years; and the strong indignation, which he felt
and expressed at a criminal, or a mean action, sometimes drew upon him
the displeasure of his tutor; who reprobated it under the general
term of violence of temper; and who, when haranguing on the virtues of
mildness and moderation, seemed to forget the gentleness and compassion,
which always appeared in his pupil towards objects of misfortune.

He had now obtained leave of absence from his regiment when he made the
excursion into the Pyrenees, which was the means of introducing him to
St. Aubert; and, as this permission was nearly expired, he was the more
anxious to declare himself to Emily's family, from whom he reasonably
apprehended opposition, since his fortune, though, with a moderate
addition from hers, it would be sufficient to support them, would not
satisfy the views, either of vanity, or ambition. Valancourt was not
without the latter, but he saw golden visions of promotion in the army;
and believed, that with Emily he could, in the mean time, be delighted
to live within the limits of his humble income. His thoughts were now
occupied in considering the means of making himself known to her family,
to whom, however, he had yet no address, for he was entirely ignorant of
Emily's precipitate departure from La Vallee, of whom he hoped to obtain
it.

Meanwhile, the travellers pursued their journey; Emily making frequent
efforts to appear cheerful, and too often relapsing into