limps."

"The beautiful and renowned La Valliere," said he, was also lame in the hip."

to Stellan. To whom, indeed, is she not so? "That I have done already, Cousin Stellan," But then I fancy that I have seen, at times, a I replied; "but then a great but comes in my certain timidity towards Bruno, which, in her in-way. This person is excellent, but then-she tercourse with Stellan, I never perceived; and this is not a good sign. But perhaps this may be only a natural consequence of the dissimilar nature and dissimilar behaviour of these two men; even I in Bruno's company am not quite selfpossessed. Neither of the two exactly pleases me as a husband for Serana; but Stellan I prefer to Bruno.

5th August. Aha! Cousin Stellan, is it so? What do you think now, dear Maria? Here, now, has our former despiser of marriages sat a whole hour, and talked of the happiness of a well-assorted marriage, and of the pleasures and joys which domestic life must afford; then came sighs and melancholy looks, and it was to be understood that he held it for the highest happiness to settle down domestically with an amiable and accomplished wife; and I-I threw all his former difficulties in the way.

"But, Cousin Stellan, the sour paste? But, Cousin Stellan, the wash-bucket? Your wife must have the house scoured! But, Cousin Stellan, that crying of children? All little children cry, even if they be descended from the besteducated parents. And that apple, which is found in all families!" To all these Stellan had one answer, that all earthly disagreeables, with a really prudent and agreeable wife, would be perceived only as a light cloud, which appears transiently in the heavens, and then is gone again. I cherished the same opinion exactly, and said so, at length.

"Ah! that is true, and alters the affair considerably (for our court people,)” added I, in petto. "But she seems to me," continued he, "to have a far greater fault, a fault which is very objectionable in a woman."

"God forbid! And this fault?" asked I.

"She appears to me," said he, "to have a cold heart; she has a repose in her nature which borders on indifference. This is a great fault in a lady."

"You surprise me, Stellan," said I. "I have never observed any coldness in Serena."

"I believe still that it is so," he replied; "but I should be glad to find that I was wrong, for she really is an excellent creature-but," added he, in a light and totally indifferent tone, "icy natures are, to the last, cold ;" and, with these words, he went out.

Ah, Cousin Stellan, you are subtle, but your fox will not catch my goose. I see very well how it is; Stellan wishes that I should examine Serena's heart, and then that I should tell him whether it is warm or cold towards him. In the first case, he then would advance securely; in the last, he would withdraw himself, and that on the plea of "that great fault in a lady," and thus would compromise neither his comfort nor his consequence. But does a man truly love when he is thus circumspect? At all events, it will be interesting to see how the sour paste all at "Yes," said Stellan, "one first becomes per- once can become sweet; and I will, without doubt, fectly aware of this when one meets with a per- take the opportunity of discovering whether Seson who gives, by her beautiful, harmonious na-rena's heart be warm or cold towards my handture, a charm and grace to all that surrounds her. some cousin. It is another thing whether I shall One feels, then, first that they are the intrinsic or shall not impart to him my discoveries. qualities which fashion this outer world, and that the connexion between the two is governed by them."

"Yes, so it is, Cousin Stellan," said I; "and I confess that I have anticipated this change in your views."

"How so?" asked he, blushing. "Confess," said I, "that a person in our neighbourhood has particularly tended to your seeing marriage and domestic life in a brighter point of view."

"Hum! yes, now, I cannot deny that," said he. "I have seen it long," I observed. "I am not astonished, Cousin Stellan; you have not seen coolly Miss Hellevi Hausgiebel and her Bird's Nest."

"What! whom? how?" said Cousin Stellan, springing up in confusion, and looking at me with terror; "you jest, Franziska, and that is not right of you!"

"Pardon me, Stellan," I replied, "but confess that Bird's Nest possesses not the least of these disagreeables which you find so great; it never can smell there of sour paste, and certainly it is not scoured more than once a year; besides which, Miss Hellevi is a person with whom life could never be heavy and wearisome."

"God defend us!" exclaimed he; "her excessive sprightliness would occasion me fever, and in eight days I should die of Bird's Nest and phrensy; and then she would embalm me, and, over and above, would most likely be glad of me for a mummy for her museum. I thank you, Franziska! no, look in another direction."

6th August. Now I know what hour the clock has struck, and you shall know it also, my Maria. Oh, Serena! Serena!

I was alone with her yesterday afternoon; and, thinking of Stellan, I asked her what she thought of our young guest. To my astonishment, I found that she had thought very little about him. She allowed that he was handsome, graceful, and full of talent; but she expressed her admiration with a desperate indifference. At this, I began to be a little scandalized. Love, thought I, has many lurking-holes; and when we cannot decoy him out with sugar, one often can with salt; but in vain did I salt my observations in Stellan's care for self, his levity, &c. I could not discover the least point out of the quiver of love. Serena, while she acknowledged his faults, excused them, like Christian Charity herself.

"You are very gentle towards him, Serena," said I; "would you not undertake his education, for example, as his wife?"

"Ah, no, no !" replied she, laughing. "And why 'Ah, no, no?" returned I. "You acknowledge, truly, that he possesses very many good qualities, and excuse his faults with all zeal."

"Yes; but I could not think of him as my hus band," she replied.

"And why not, Serena?"

"What shall I say?" returned she. "He seems to be good and agreeable, but I do not believe that he could really love any other person or any other thing than himself."

"You would rather have my Bear, then, SeTena ?" asked I.

"He, who is so good to every one-who has so warin a heart-who is so active for othersOh, yes!" said she, warmly.

"It is well," said I," that I have him in secure possession. But tell me, dear Serena, and pardon me; is there no other who stands in Stellan's way or I really think you must have felt a little warmer interest for him. Perhaps your heart is already disposed of. I have been told of a youth who, a few years since, asked your hand." Serena blushed deeply at the beginning of my question, then became pale, and answered, after some reflection, No, I did not love him; but, had I been able to have acted quite freely, it is probable I should have become his wife."

"And wherefore, if you did not love him ?" "Because," said she, "I believe that he really loved me, and that I could have made him happy. There is something beautiful in being able, on earth, to make one human being happy."

"But you have had many lovers," remarked 1. "Did none of them please your parents, or had you not the same compassion on these as on the one you have just mentioned ?"

"They did not need it," said she, smiling. How so? they really loved you?" Oh! there are many kinds of love," replied she.

"That is true," I returned; "let us see. In the first place we will set down the moderate lover, who speaks probably thus: 'See, there is a good, rational girl, who will make a regular housekeeper, and not occasion me too much expense, and would be exactly the wife for me.' What lover shall we place second ?"

"Perhaps the enamoured," said Serena. "Yes, certainly," assented I: "the enamoured, who has a bandage before his eyes, and becomes Enchanted over head and ears. This love may be violent as a spring-storm, or modest as a violet, but it is past as soon as these; yet this love ean, as well as the moderate love, elevate itself to one more in ward, and may become nearly related to a sort of love for which I have great esteem-I mean, warm friendship."

"Ah, that is beautiful!" said Serena. "It develops itself first perfectly during marriage itself, and I have often heard in my family how it speaks more in deeds than in words."

"Tell me that, dear Serena," I said, "since I will gladly introduce this language into my Chouse."

a mild paleness chased the crimson from her cheek: "what it would say I know not, but I imagine what it must feel-it is a higher throb in the veins of friendship-it is the heavenly life-" She paused, her eyes filled with tears, and a glance full of exultation completed the thought which the tongue was unable to speak.

"And will you, Serena," said 1, after a few moments, "who understand the highest happiness of marriage so well, never enjoy it-will you remain single?"

"I think so," answered she, again calm; "but yet I will love thus sincerely my parents, you, all good people; and through this will I become happy." "My dear Serena," said I, "that is very well, so long as your heart remains free."

A thrill, a tremble, passed through the fine, warm hand which I held in mine; it was as if a heart-throb had thrilled through her veins, and when I looked at her, her cheeks were flushed with red, and she breathed quicker. The moment I was about to inquire whence came this sudden emotion, I made a painful discovery: the quick strokes of a horse's hoofs were heard, and Bruno dismounted at the door; Serena must have already recognised from afar the sound of his horse's approach.

"Is it so ?" thought I, and a light, anxious shudder passed through me, like an unfortunate foreboding. I pressed Serena's hand, and felt as if impelled to embrace her, and clasp her more warmly to me; but this I was prevented doing by Bruno's noisy entrance. He always comes in like a tempest; but he now shook my hand so cordially, and threw so beautiful a glance on Serena, that the unpleasant sensation which I experienced the moment before vanished.

Serena sat down to her embroidery-frame and worked industriously, while Bruno's eyes rested on the figures, and on the flowers, which seemed to spring from them.

"It is a lovely day," said I to Bruno. "Yes," replied he, in his melodious voice; "but I feel it to be so now for the first time."

We were silent for long; and I was glad when the entrance of Lars Anders converted our trio into a quartett, and soon after, when it became a quintett, through the entrance of Stellan.

"It must be beautiful," said I with warmth, "on such a day, to glance back through a long array of years, and discover only pure recollections and good deeds."

But this did not seem to please Bruno. He arose, and, after he had paced the room a few times, he sat himself down to the piano at the other end; and then, like painfully-repressed feelings, sounded forth the low expression of his extraordinary and thoughtful melodies. Serena Had a man stood before Serena at this moment, seemed to dream; she attended not to our conhe must have thrown himself at her feet, so charm-versation, nor, in fact, seemed aware of it, till we ing and amiable was she, as she said, "Thy began to speak of the approaching golden nup-well-being is mine; my well-being thine. Let tials of her grand-parents. misfortune do its worst, it cannot make me unhappy, possessing thee. If I have erred, or, if I have acted well, I read it in thy eyes; that is my punishment, this is my reward. Whither should I go with my joy, or with my sorrow, if not to thee? and where shouldst thou go, if not to me? All that we have, have we not it together? If thou art in any respect wanting, if thou art some-mortals," said Stellan, with a sigh. times even unjust, what does that amount to? I enclose thee in my inmost heart, and then we love only the more. I have, by thy side, support, and home, and joy; in the whole wide world, there is no one who understands me so well as thou." "But what could love say more than this?" exclaimed I, wiping away a tear; "what more coull the highest love say than this?'

"The highest love?" repeated Serena, while

Bruno moved; the tones ceased; and, leaning himself over the chair, I saw that he listened. "Such a happiness is the lot of but very few

"And why, Cousin Stellan ?" began I again: "because so few aim at it; so few learn to know and to govern themselves."

"And who knows himself? who can do it?" asked Bruno, rising from his seat. "Hem! I hope I can!" answered I, some what startled by the eager interruption.

"Yes, people think so," continued he, with a gloomy warmth; "people think the know them

.

We were all become such good friends through this heavenly music, that, when Bruno left us, we accompanied him part way home. The air was mild, and the starry heaven was displayed in streaming glory in the deep midnight twilight of August. Involuntarily we looked up in quiet admiration; and Stellan, who for the last several days has seemed to feel all with deeper sentiment, said, "Under such a heaven as this, man must for the first time have divined of his own immortality!"

selves, because they are untried, because they have never examined down into the depths of the soul. Our connexions make the path smooth; life goes on like a sunshiny day; and the undisturbed spirit, which no storm has shaken, no night darkened, regards itself as firm as light. The blind ones! The lucky ones! They know little of life. But who that has proved how much life has of temptation, afflictions, and joys; who that feels his soul shaken by passions, would dare to say that he can regulate himself as he would? And who is always the same? Look into his- "Or rather, perhaps," objected Bruno, "coutory: do not vice and misery pollute the lives of prehended his own mortality; his independence the greatest men? Cannot the malefactor ac-of all outward powers. Since what say you to complish noble actions? Cannot man, in one this multitude of stars, these eternal wanderers, hour of his life, possess in his heart a paradise on eternally the same paths, who pursue their of love, and, in another, is it not cold, poor, and heavenly career as silently as so many Trapdesolate? To know himself! Is not that to feel pists? Strangers to our feelings, our sufferings, himself a mass of contradiction of all possible and our joys, they circle in eternal rest, and seem kinds? as a toy between heaven and hell, with to answer only to our questions, 'Poor Dust, which angels and devils disport themselves? Man measure thyself with Immortality, and be mute!' can do much without consistency; he can do the Immortal life! no, this magnificent thought was greatest, the noblest actions one moment-the never created to us out of those unfeeling heights. next moment drags him downward! To know The starry heaven rather distresses than elevates himself is but to know his own weakness "" us! But the world of sound! Cannot we involve ourselves in this, and divine, at least for a moment, the greatness of life, and conceive of its harmony and its eternity? Oh (and Bruno's voice here assumed its deep melodious tone), Oh, if there be one great thought in this universe, in this life which we lead, it must be expressed in sound! Listen to the fugue! Listen how sphere sings to sphere! how one thought answers another! how all things are manifold, yet one thought has perfected this manifold whole in strength and beauty! The fugue is that 'Let it be!' of the Creator. Thus innumerable worlds repeat that first word! Listen to a symphony of Beethoven, if you would have an interpretation of life! Listen to the tones, how they live, suffer, love; how they involve one another, and thus fashion out all the melodies of being! Lis ten, at last, how the dissonances dissolve them selves into harmonies; how storm, unrest, affliction, joy, hate, and love, hasten forward, like the rivers of the earth, to cast themselves into the ocean, where all is dissolved in an accord of harmony and peace!"

Bruno's speech had rushed onward like an impetuous stream, which suddenly rises above the shore, and breaks through all impediments; and I confess that I myself felt overwhelmed by it. In my own so often changeable and sensitive heart, a hundred evidences arose to the truth of Bruno's sorrowful doctrine. I felt my courage sink, but Serena bad not let go the rudder. She fixed her clear eyes on Bruno, who stood over against her, and said, with all her peculiarly sincere and consolatory gentleness, "Certainly, there are contradictions and inconsistencies in all men; but must not one concede that these diminish in the same proportion as they are repressed?"

"It should be so," said Bruno, slowly fixing his eyes on her heaven-serene countenance.

"And do we not see," continued she, "in manifold examples, that such ennobling takes place? Do we not know that fallen human beings have created themselves again? that the severely tried have come out of the contest as victors? Every man carries in his breast a secret image of God, which can enlighten his being, and which strives to exalt him to a higher existence."

"Yes, it is so; I believe it!" said Bruno, mildly, though gloomily, and seated himself beside her.

I was agitated and carried away, although not satisfied by Bruno's words.

We went slowly down the long alley, Stellan talking with me; and I fancy that all at once I must have become possessed of two pairs of eyes "Let us, then, hope for all," continued she, and two pairs of ears, for, while I replied to him, with heartfelt emotion; "the way may be more I was observant also of what went on between difficult for some natures than for others, but He, Bruno and Serena, who walked on together a who is bright, and good, and eternally consistent, few paces before us. Bruno gathered a flower, will some time let his voice be heard, and will which he presented to Serena, saying, in a low raise them to light and harmony." voice, in which was something inexpressibly "Amen! Amen! so be it!" said Bruno, resting mild and tender, "Flowers and good wishes may his forehead on his hand. (6 "May all the restless truly be given at the same time; will you accept spirits receive peace!" them from me! May you always be as peace"Before all things goes a good-will," thoughtful as now! May your bitterest cares resemble I; but I would not raise my voice, after Serena's angel-tones, even to speak words of wisdom.

this night, full of heavenly lights! May you be as happy as you are good and pure! But," and We sat long silent, each one busied with his here his voice sunk deeper, "when you are susown thoughts. The silence at length dissolved tained by the hands of good angels, then pray for itself into Mozart's Don Juan, which Stellan those who have no rest-who are not so pure as proposed; and Bruno, who conducted it, added you-pray for them, and-pray for me!" These thereto somewhat of his own powerful inspira-last words I imagined rather than heard. Bruno tion. He truly captivated me this evening, and I fancy all the rest were as much charmed as I. We scarcely left ourselves time to eat, but continued our music, almost uninterruptedly, till nearly eleven. Godlike art! Glorious Mozart!

bent himself at that moment over Serena's hand,
and Stellan began, also, as I suspect, to have two
pairs of eyes and two pairs of ears.

Serena's face was turned towards Bruno, but
I could not perceive whether she answered him....

to know that Bruno had deserved the contempt, of his nearest connexions. At least, none but Bruno himself should put her in possession of this knowledge. Eye to eye, heart to heart, can say much, and reconcile much."

"Ah! if one only knew something more of Bruno's later life!" sighed I.

"I have heard his relation," returned he: "I have, indeed, seen his papers; all is clear and straightforward. I have seen letters from many distinguished men to him; they speak perfectly to his advantage; beyond this, even if Bruno should have erred, do we not see clearly in him the desire after good? Christ would not reject him-and thou, Fanny, couldst not do it!"

"Ah, no, no, dearest! But Serena-" "Think on Bruno's warm heart," interrupted he, "on his great talents, on his mind, and then -on his great wealth! Why should not Serena be happy with him?”

"Ah, Bear," returned I, "that which makes a wife happy-what beautifies home-is not the wealth of a husband-not his great talents-not the fire of his soul-all these may destroy the peace of home. No, the happiness of the wife is that the husband have integrity; that he be good, rational, reasonable, and regular-like you, Bear!"

We did not contend any longer.

CHAPTER X.

FRAGMENT OF A LETTER FROM BRUNO MTO

ANTOINIO DE R.

I approached her without purpose. I would merely contemplate the beauty of her countenance, the glory of innocence which rested upon it like a clear heaven. I would merely listen to her voice, her words; observe all her living grace. What the freshness of the waves, what the tune of a song, what the endearments of my mother, had been to me--that was to me her presence. I felt happy as I heard her voice; at her glance, every painful feeling, every unholy thought, withdrew; I was better.

-social ties which I have renounced and abused how transportingly do they beckon me back, through her!

Tell me not that it is too late. I have rioted with the wild forms of life's enchantment. Like Faust, I danced with the witches of the Blocksberg; and the person of one, whom I embraced, was ashes; and out of the mouth of another, whom I kissed, sprang a disgusting reptile; a third changed herself, in my arms, into a serpent; and so I stood on the deep declivity of my way, and looked round, and all behind me was terrible and dark. The same restless fire, the same thirst, still raged within me; but I sought other springs. I was strong and full of life. In the battle, in contest with the raging elements, I felt within me a higher power, a mightier existence-but all was so empty, so empty! I conceived not that the fulness of life could be found in any human form. A human bosom-great, full of love as the heavens, true, gentle, and pure-oh! there is a world in which to live! perfect, beautiful, and eternal. There is the fire of passion purified, but not quenched; the unquiet is made quiet; the strength is exalted and confirmed. If a spouse with a soul so great and lovely wandered by my side; if her heavenly spirit passed, every hour of the day, like a vernal breeze, over my soul; if she infused her pure and harmonious life into all that surrounds my daily path; if I could lean on it, as-O my God! I cannot say, as on a mother's breast, since that has spurned me from it; but could I press a wife to my bosom in a fast and everlasting embrace, and say, from the depths of my heart, "Thou art an angel, and thou art mine!" oh, believest thou not that earlier sins could be forgiven, that bitter memories could be expunged, that the wavering soul could become established in a higher love? Believest thou not that on the blasted ground a new paradise might yet bloom?

I look on Serena, and I must believe it possible. I have said to myself, "She must become mine, and I shall find peace on the earth!" But she-the good, the pure, the amiable-will she be able to love me? will she be willing to unite her Neither she nor I, but the power which planted fate with mine? And they, in whose power lies volcanic fire in the depths of my being, is the her disposal, they who, above all things, estimate cause that this feeling suddenly grew into a de- purity of character, social and domestic virtues, vouring flame. But I love her not, if I ever loved will these bestow her, the most beautiful and most before. No, Serena stood on my nightly way-precious of their possessions, on a man whose she is my first pure love. And precisely on that reputation from very childhood has been stained account, exactly because she is totally dissimilar-whose life has been covered with darkness? to all other women whom I have hitherto sought I hear thee utter these questions, and this is my and won, is it that Serena is so bewitching. Her answer. gentle and maidenly worth, which stamps her being and actions with so beautiful a propriety, binds me to her with the force of magic. Exactly because she is so destitute of everything like coquetry, am I ready to kneel before her, and to worship her. My eyes rest with an indescribable apture on this mouth, which no heartless kiss has desecrated, no word of scorn or of falsehood has polluted. Purity-a word which I have too late learned to understand-purity is the heaven which beams upon her brow, the spirit which emanates from her; and, for the sake of her purity, I worship her. I, who-Yes, I can do it, and that is my salvation. What is beautiful, what is godlike, which, at the same time, is not pure? Light, virtue, heaven! eternal essence of purity! Dark was my life, but in her I love you! Serena stands there, and with her all the angels of life; they whom I have dishonoured and despised-quiet virtues, peace, domestic life

There is something in me-call it pride, presumption, what thou wilt-but I know there is something in me which no one so realily withstands; a power, a will, which breaks iron; a fire which can devour everything before it, in order to burn in the air for which it yearns. 1 have proved it often, and no one can resist it but my mother; for my blood, also, runs in her veins

and yet, mother! we have not fought out the contest between us.

I have seen my mother! She knew me not again, and I scarcely knew her. She was a beautiful woman. She is much changed, and, it would seem, not simply through age. I sought opportunity to see her-I must see her; but, as I stood there as a stranger before her-as I heard again the well-known voice-I could not support it. She is not yet prepared for it, nor I either. I was desperately and painfully agitated in her presence; and, therefore, I flee it-till some fu