appoint."--"Four weeks then, she said, from this day, honour me with a
visit, and you shall have my decision, and receive my final answer."
"I will be punctual to the day," he replied, and bade her adieu.

* * * * *

Alonzo's hours now winged heavily away. His wonted cheerfulness fled;
he wooed the silent and solitary haunts of "musing, moping melancholy."
He loved to wander through lonely fields, or along the verge of some
lingering stream, "when dewy twilight rob'd the evening mild," or
"to trace the forest glen, through which the moon darted her silvery
intercepted ray."

He was fondly indulging a tender passion which preyed upon his peace,
and deeply disturbed his repose. He looked anxiously to the hour when
Melissa was to make her decision. He wished, yet dreaded the event.
In that he foresaw, or thought he foresaw, a withering blight to his
budding hopes, and a final consummation to his foreboding fears. He had
pressed Melissa, perhaps too urgently, to a declaration.--Had her
predilection been in his favour, would she have hesitated to avow it?
Her parents had advised her to relinquish, and had permitted her to
retain one suitor, nor had they attempted to influence or direct her
choice. Was it not evident, then, from her confused hesitation and
embarrassment, when solicited to discriminate upon the subject, that her
ultimate decision would be in favour of Beauman?

While Alonzo's mind was thus agitated, he received a second letter from
his friend in the neighbourhood of Melissa. He read the following clause
therein with emotions more easily to be conceived than expressed:

"Melissa's wedding day is appointed. I need not tell you that Beauman is
to be the happy deity of the hymeneal sacrifice. I had this from his own
declaration. He did not name the positive day, but it is certainly to be
soon. You will undoubtedly, however, have timely notice, as a guest. We
must pour a liberal libation upon the mystic altar, Alonzo, and twine
the nuptial garland with wreaths of joy. Beauman ought to devote a rich
offering to so valuable a prize. He has been here for a week, and
departed for New-London yesterday, but is shortly to return."

"And why have I ever doubted this event? said Alonzo. What infatuation
hath thus led me on the pursuit of fantastic and unreal bliss? I have
had, it is true, no positive assurance that Melissa would favour my
addresses. But why did she ever receive them? Why