few words he had said, that my fate, with regard to Edward;
might not be hopelessly sealed, if at least the hateful vision
of his dawning attachment to Rosa Moore did not realise
itself? Whether it was strange or not, the fact was so; and,
in such a state of mind, at about four o'clock, I drove out of
London, and in a short time arrived at the gates of Mrs.
Moore's villa.

CHAPTER XIV.

Mark where she smiles with amiable cheer,
And tell me, whereto can ye liken it?
When on each eyelid sweetly do appear
An hundred graces as in shade to sit,
Liketh, it seemeth in my simple wit,
Unto the first sunshine in summer's day,
That when a dreadful storm away is flit,
Through the broad world doth spread his goodly ray.

SPENCER.

I do not know a pleasanter sensation than that of driving into
the grounds of a country house or a villa, after a prolonged
stay in London. The change is so sudden from oppressive heat,
bad smells, and ceaseless noise, to bright sunshine, (for even
the sun seems to be contaminated by all it shines upon in a
large town,) pure air, delicious perfume, and the voices of
the birds, who, I maintain, never sing so sweetly and so
unceasingly, as within a few miles of London. The change is so
great, that we feel more strongly than ever the value of that
we have been voluntarily foregoing, at that time of the year.

Those days when summer supersedes the spring.
And smiling June's expanding roses fling
Their perfumed odours o'er the passing breeze,
That sweeps enamoured o'er the fairy trees;
When melody pervades the cloudless sky,
When streams of light intoxicate the eye,
And every waving branch, and leafy bower,
Bursts into song, or blossoms into flower.

As we got out of the carriage, and walked on to the lawn to
meet Mrs. Moore, my eyes fell on a group, which not all the
soothing effect of the change I have just described could
enable me to look upon without disturbance.

On a swing, fastened by ropes to two horse-chesnut trees,
stood Rosa, with a bright colour in her cheeks, a large straw
hat loosely tied with blue ribbons, and her hair falling on
her shoulders in rich curls, which the wind blew about in
every direction. Three men were standing near her; two of whom
(and Edward was one of them) were gently moving the ropes
backwards and forwards, while she shouted out in that silvery
voice, which, however loud, was always sweet, "Higher