at the Hotel de Grammont?

Truly yours,

Marie d'Auvergne, nee De Meudon.

Colonel Burke.

How did I read these lines over again and again!--now interpreting them
as messengers of future hope; now fearing they might exclude every ray
of it forever. One solution recurred to me at every moment, and tortured
me to the very soul. Her family had all been Royalists. The mere
accidents of youth had thrown her brother into the army, and herself
into the Court of the Empire, where personal devotion and attachment to
the Empress had retained her. What if she should exert her influence to
induce me to accept the prince's offer? How could I resist a request,
perhaps an entreaty, from her? The more I reflected over it, the more
firmly this opinion gained ground with me, and the more deeply did I
grieve over a position environed by such difficulty; and ardently as I
longed for the moment of meeting her once more, the desire was tempered
by a fear that the meeting should be our last.

The eventful moment of my destiny arrived, and found me at the door of
the Hotel de Grammont. A valet in waiting for my arrival conducted me to
a _salon_, saying the countess would appear in a few moments.

What an anxious interval was that! I tried to occupy myself with
the objects around, and distract my attention from the approaching
interview; but every sound startled me, and I turned at each instant
towards the door by which I expected her to enter.

The time appeared to drag heavily on,--minutes became like hours; and
yet no one appeared. My impatience had reached its climax, when I heard
my name spoken in a low soft voice. I turned, and she was before me.

She was dressed in deep mourning, and looked paler, perhaps thinner,
than I had ever seen her,--but not less beautiful. Whether prompted by
her own feelings at the moment, or called up by my unconsciously fixed
look, she blushed deeply as our eyes met.

"I was about to leave France, Colonel," said she, as soon as we were
seated, "when I heard from my cousin, De Beauvais, that you were here,
and delayed my departure to have the opportunity of seeing you."

She paused here, and drew a deep breath to continue; but leaning her
head on her hand, she seemed to have fallen into a reverie for some
minutes, from which she started suddenly, by saying,--

"His royal highness has offered you your grade in the service, I
understand?"

"Yes, Madame; so my friend De Beauvais in