of her at
Mrs. Coleman's, desiring her to exercise great circumspection in her
behaviour, and to recollect that she was under a solemn engagement,
which she might before long be called upon to fulfil. The letter from
Cumberland, she added, spoke of his immediate return to claim her hand,
and a few lines from Mr. Vemor ordered her to await their arrival at
Barstone.

"And now," she continued, looking up with that calm hopeless smile which
was so painful to behold, "have I not cause to be unhappy, and was I not
right in telling you that no one could be of any assistance to me, or
afford me help?"

"No!" replied I warmly; "I trust and believe that much may be done--nay,
everything; but you are unequal to contend with these men alone; only
allow me to hope that my affection is not utterly distasteful to you.
Would you but give me that right to interfere in your behalf!"

"This is ungenerous--unlike yourself," she interrupted. "Have you
already forgotten that I am the promised bride of Richard Cumberland?
Were I free, indeed----"

"Oh! why do you pause?" exclaimed I passionately. "Clara, hear
me--you deem it ungenerous in me to urge my suit upon you at this
moment--perhaps think that I would take advantage of the difficulties
which surround you, to induce you to promise me your hand as the price
of my assistance. It is true that I love you deeply, devotedly, and the
happiness of my whole life is centred in the hope of one day calling
you my own; but I would use my utmost endeavours to save you from
Cumberland, even though I knew that by so doing I forfeited all chance
of ever seeing you again. Tell me, would you wish this to be so--am I to
believe that you dislike me?"

As she made no reply, merely blushing deeply, and casting down her eyes,
I ventured to continue: "Clara, dearest Clara, do you then love me?"

Well, reader, I think I've told you quite as much about it as you have
any business to know. Of course she did not say she loved me--women
never do upon such occasions; but I was just as well contented as it
was. Mendelssohn has composed songs without words (_Lieder ohne Worte_),
which tell their own tale very prettily, and there have been many
eloquent speeches made on a like silent system. ~288~~ Suffice it to
add, that the next ten minutes formed such a nice, bright, sunshiny
little piece of existence as might deserve to be cut out of the book
of time, and framed, glazed, and hung up for the inspection of all