of Ferdinand
Armine, as, pale and trembling, he withdrew a few paces from the
overwhelming spectacle, and leant against a tree in a chaos of emotion.
What had he seen? What ravishing vision had risen upon his sight? What
did he feel? What wild, what delicious, what maddening impulse now
pervaded his frame? A storm seemed raging in his soul, a mighty wind
dispelling in its course the sullen clouds and vapours of long years.
Silent he was indeed, for he was speechless; though the big drop that
quivered on his brow and the slight foam that played upon his lip proved
the difficult triumph of passion over expression. But, as the wind
clears the heaven, passion eventually tranquillises the soul. The tumult
of his mind gradually subsided; the flitting memories, the scudding
thoughts, that for a moment had coursed about in such wild order,
vanished and melted away, and a feeling of bright serenity succeeded, a
sense of beauty and of joy, and of hovering and circumambient happiness.

He advanced, and gazed again; the lady was still there. Changed indeed
her position; she had gathered a flower and was examining its beauty.

'Henrietta!' exclaimed a manly voice from the adjoining wood. Before
she could answer, a stranger came forward, a man of middle age but of
an appearance remarkably prepossessing. He was tall and dignified, fair,
with an aquiline nose. One of Ferdinand's dogs followed him barking.

'I cannot find the gardener anywhere,' said the stranger; 'I think we
had better remount.'

'Ah, me! what a pity!' exclaimed the lady.

'Let me be your guide,' said Ferdinand, advancing.

The lady rather started; the gentleman, not at all discomposed,
courteously welcomed Ferdinand, and said, 'I feel that we are
intruders, sir. But we were informed by the woman at the lodge that the
family were not here at present, and that we should find her husband in
the grounds.'

'The family are not at Armine,' replied Ferdinand; 'I am sure, however,
Sir Ratcliffe would be most happy for you to walk about the grounds as
much as you please; and as I am well acquainted with them, I should feel
delighted to be your guide.'

'You are really too courteous, sir,' replied the gentleman; and his
beautiful companion rewarded Ferdinand with a smile like a sunbeam, that
played about her countenance till it finally settled into two exquisite
dimples, and revealed to him teeth that, for a moment, he believed to be
even the most beautiful feature of