centred in each other. How fondly you once loved me--and is it at an
end? Will you love me no more?" The native good feelings of Amaranthe's
heart, that had so long lain dormant, were now revived. Bursting into an
agony of crying, she threw her arms round her brother's neck, and sobbed
out, "Yes, yes, dear Adrian; I love you better than ever. Oh, do but be
kind to me, and I will cease to deplore the loss of my beauty." After
embracing her affectionately, Adrian, looking mournfully round,
observed--"This was the scene of our childish sports. How joyously we
bounded like fawns over this lawn! When turning our hoops or tossing our
balls, how little cared I for riches or you for beauty! And there,"
pointing with his hand, "is the shrubbery where we used to play at hide
and seek, and laugh at poor Claribel for not being able to find us. See
the woodbine that you and she used to twine round my hat and crook, when
I played at being a shepherd."

"And those," said Amaranthe, "are the trees you so often climbed to get
birds' eggs for Claribel and me to string, when we pretended to be
hermits, and called them our rosaries!"

"Happy, happy days of blessed innocence!" groaned out her brother;
"would to heaven ye could be recalled! Never again would I barter ye for
grandeur and licentiousness!"

While the unhappy trio continued weeping over these painful
recollections, they suddenly observed an extraordinary appearance in the
air. A large machine, resembling a car, was hovering in it, and at
length descending slowly to the earth fixed itself at no great distance
from them. They then saw a lady clad in a purple robe, with a long white
wand in her hand, step out of it and advance towards them. They were
immediately struck with the belief that it was the fairy, but with what
different sensations did the brother and sister now greet her, to those
which her first appearance had occasioned! Confused and dismayed, they
would have fled from her presence had not terror rendered them
motionless, for they doubted not that she was come to reproach them, if
not to punish their ill conduct. When she drew nearer, and they ventured
to look at her again, they discovered that the figure was taller and
more dignified than that of Felicia. Her face was not so fair, and its
expression was more solemn, but her countenance was more commanding, and
her aspect altogether inspired awe and veneration. "Perhaps," whispered
Claribel, "it is the fairy Benign