jealous of so fair a rival; and added, that
if he were only young again, Windsor Hall might be called upon to yield
its fair inmate to adorn the palace of the Governor of Virginia.

CHAPTER XVIII.

"Give me more love or more disdain,
The torrid or the frozen zone;
Bring equal ease unto my pain,
The temperate affords me none;
Either extreme of love or hate,
Is sweeter than a calm estate."--_Thomas Carew._

While Virginia thus received the meed of merited applause at the hands
of all who were truly generous, there were some then, as there are many
now, in whose narrow and sterile hearts the success of another is ever a
sufficient incentive to envy and depreciation. Among these was a young
lady, who had hitherto been the especial favourite of Alfred Bernard,
and to whom his attentions had been unremittingly paid. This young lady,
Miss Matilda Bray, the daughter of one of the councillors, vented her
spleen and jealousy in terms to the following purport, in a conversation
with the amiable and accomplished Caroline Ballard.

"Did you ever, Caroline, see any thing so forward as that Miss Temple?"

"I am under a different impression," replied her companion. "I was
touched by the diffidence and modesty of her demeanor."

"I don't know what you call diffidence and modesty; screeching here at
the top of her voice and drowning every body's conversation. Do you
think, for instance, that you or I would presume to sing in as large a
company as this--with every body gazing at us like a show."

"No, my dear Matilda, I don't think that we would. First, because no one
would be mad enough to ask us; and, secondly, because if we did
presume, every body would be stopping their ears, instead of admiring us
with their eyes."

"Speak for yourself," retorted Matilda. "I still hold to my opinion,
that it was impertinent to be stopping other people's enjoyment to
listen to her."

"On the contrary, I thought it a most welcome interruption, and I
believe that most of the guests, as well as Sir William Berkeley,
himself, concurred with me in opinion."

"Well, I never saw any body so spiteful as you've grown lately,
Caroline. There's no standing you. I suppose you will say next that this
country girl is beautiful too, with her cotton head and blue china
eyes."

"I am a country girl myself, Matilda," returned Caroline, "and as for
the beauty of Miss Temple, whatever I may think, I believe that our
fr