lled the poison of temporary evils,
and supported her hopes of happy days: they appeared like a beautiful
landscape, lighted up by a gleam of sun-shine, and seen through a
perspective of dark and rugged rocks.

But Count Morano did not long confine himself to silent assiduities;
he declared his passion to Emily, and made proposals to Montoni, who
encouraged, though Emily rejected, him: with Montoni for his friend,
and an abundance of vanity to delude him, he did not despair of success.
Emily was astonished and highly disgusted at his perseverance, after she
had explained her sentiments with a frankness that would not allow him
to misunderstand them.

He now passed the greater part of his time at Montoni's, dining there
almost daily, and attending Madame and Emily wherever they went; and all
this, notwithstanding the uniform reserve of Emily, whose aunt seemed
as anxious as Montoni to promote this marriage; and would never dispense
with her attendance at any assembly where the Count proposed to be
present.

Montoni now said nothing of his intended journey, of which Emily waited
impatiently to hear; and he was seldom at home but when the Count, or
Signor Orsino, was there, for between himself and Cavigni a coolness
seemed to subsist, though the latter remained in his house. With Orsino,
Montoni was frequently closeted for hours together, and, whatever
might be the business, upon which they consulted, it appeared to be of
consequence, since Montoni often sacrificed to it his favourite passion
for play, and remained at home the whole night. There was somewhat of
privacy, too, in the manner of Orsino's visits, which had never before
occurred, and which excited not only surprise, but some degree of alarm
in Emily's mind, who had unwillingly discovered much of his character
when he had most endeavoured to disguise it. After these visits, Montoni
was often more thoughtful than usual; sometimes the deep workings of his
mind entirely abstracted him from surrounding objects, and threw a gloom
over his visage that rendered it terrible; at others, his eyes seemed
almost to flash fire, and all the energies of his soul appeared to
be roused for some great enterprise. Emily observed these written
characters of his thoughts with deep interest, and not without some
degree of awe, when she considered that she was entirely in his power;
but forbore even to hint her fears, or her observations, to Madame
Montoni, who discerned nothing in