eir rays--I never had
any fancy for them."

"Every one to his taste," said Erskine. "As for me, I like true
beauty--the beauty of the mind and heart."

"Oh, as for that," returned Ashton, lightly, "let people go in for
hearts who understand such matters. I don't profess to know much about
them. But I can appreciate, ay, and love a magnificent woman like
Edith Maurice. You can have Mary Graham, and welcome; _I_ will never
cross your path."

From this time Ashton became the undisguised admirer of Edith. The
young man was handsome, well educated, and had a winning address; yet,
for all this, there was something about him from which the pure-minded
girl at first shrunk. Erskine she sometimes met; and whenever she
happened to be thrown into his company, she was charmed with his
manners, and interested in his conversation. Unobtrusive as he was,
she admired him more than any man she had yet seen. But the showy
exterior of Edith hid from the eyes of Erskine her real worth. He
looked upon her as vain, fond of admiration, and of course, as
possessing little heart--and turned from her to find a congenial
spirit in her friend Mary. Had Erskine sought to win the favor of
Edith, a man like Ashton would have proved no rival. But Erskine
evinced no disposition to show her any thing more than ordinary polite
attentions, and with an inward sigh, she suffered the heart which
shrunk at first with instinctive repugnance, to turn with its
affections toward Ashton.

Vain with the thought of having so imposing and beautiful a woman as
Edith for a wife, Ashton did not stop to inquire whether there was a
relative fitness for mutual happiness, but pressed his suit with
ardor, and won her consent before the half-bewildered girl had time
for reflection. Friends, who understood the character of the young
man, interposed their influence to save Edith from a connection that
promised little for the future; but their interposition came too late.
She was betrothed, and neither could nor would listen to a word
against the man with whom she had chosen to cast her lot in life.

A brilliant and beautiful girl, Edith was led to the altar by one,
who, as a man, was her equal in external attractions; but he was far
from possessing her pure, true, loving heart. It did not take many
months to lift the veil that had fallen before the eyes of Edith.
Gradually the quality of her husband's mind began to manifest
itself--and sad, indeed, was her spirit, at tim