that crown her,--
An awful, beautiful sight.

Beautiful? Yes, with her hair
So wild and her cheeks so flushed!
Awful? Yes, for there
In her beauty she stands hushed
By the pomp of her own despair.

--_Meredith_.

Judge Merlin walked about, reasoning with himself all day; but he could
not walk off his depression of spirits, or reason away his misgivings.

He returned home in time to dress for dinner. He crept up to his chamber
with a wearied and stealthy air, for he was still dispirited and
desirous of avoiding a meeting with his daughter.

He made his toilet and then sat down, resolved not to leave his chamber
until the dinner-bell rang, so that he should run no risk of seeing her
until he met her at dinner, where of course no allusion would be made to
the event of the morning.

He took up the evening paper, that lay upon the dressing-table by some
chance, and tried to read. But the words conveyed no meaning to his
mind.

"She is all I have in this world!" he sighed as he laid the paper down.

"Papa!"

He looked up.

There she stood within his chamber door! It was an unprecedented
intrusion. There she stood in her rich evening dress of purple
moire-antique, with the bandeau of diamonds encircling her night-black
hair. Two crimson spots like the flush of hectic fever burned in her
cheeks, and her eyes were unnaturally bright and wild, almost like those
of insanity.

"Papa, may I come to you? Oh, papa, I have been waiting to speak to you
all day; and it seems to me as if you had purposely kept out of my way.
Are you displeased, papa? May I come to you now?"

He opened his arms, and she came and threw herself upon his bosom,
sobbing as if her heart would break.

"What is the matter, my darling?"

"Are you displeased, papa?"

"No, no, my darling! Why should I be? How could I be so unreasonable?
But--do you love him, Claudia?"

"He will be an earl, papa."

"Are you happy, Claudia?"

"I shall be a countess, papa!"

"But--are you happy, my dear, I ask you."

"Happy? Who is? Who ever was?"

"Your mother and myself were happy, very happy during the ten blessed
years of our union. But then we loved each other, Claudia. Do you love
this man whom you are about to make your husband?"

"Papa, I have consented to be his wife. Should not that satisfy you?"

"Certainly, certainly, my child! Besides, it is not for my rough,
masculine hand to probe your heart. Your mother might do it if