more seriously, "that when young hearts are united in bonds of love, firm faith, and sympathy of feeling and taste, they will prove, as ours have done,

'Hearts that the world in vain has tried,

And sorrow but more closely tied!

She had been standing behind him, with her hand resting on his shoulder, while they read the letter together. He drew her gently to him, and imprinted a kiss on her matronly cheek.

"Such love, such faith, such sympathies have been ours," he said. "I trust Vivian and Evelyn will be as happy as we have been; more than that I could not wish for them."

A moment of quiet thought ensued; and Mrs. Melville apparently resumed a subject on which they were conversing, when Vivian's letter was received.

"This event will then make no change in your arrangements for our contemplated visit to Europe in the autumn ?" she said, interrogatively.

"No," replied Mr. Melville, "I could not change them if I would; but Vivian and Evelyn can accompany us. A bridal tour is always in fashion, and the beau ideal of all that is gay and delightful to young ladies is a trip to Paris; so that it will probably need no persuasion to induce them to be of our party. Vivian is just of the right age to profit by foreign travel, and his knowledge of the modern languages will greatly facilitate his improvement, and add to his pleasure."

"It will certainly be an advantage to have a home such as we may offer them, for a part of the time at

least," ," said Mrs. Melville; "and to a young man who marries an accomplished and amiable woman whose tastes coincide with his own, her society doubles the pleasure of all he enjoys, if Heaven favors the pair with good health, and a reasonable portion of what the world would call good fortune, as the special care of Divine Providence is too often called."

"Such a companion as you describe," said Mr. Melville, "would be no incumbrance even to an inexperienced traveller in these days of modern civilization. She might be an impediment to the ascent of Mont Blanc, or even a visit to the Pyramids. But the former I have always considered rather an idle ambition, and of the latter I have been content to take the accounts of travellers more enterprising than myself. These details, however, can be best settled when Vivian comes, and I have reason to expect him to-day. Perhaps I may meet him."

Mr. Melville departed on his morning ride, and Vivian arrived in his absence, as has been related.

Our young and romantic reader, on reviewing the last few pages, will probably exclaim, "What! is it possible that this elegant, handsome, high-souled young man, for whom we had imagined a thousand interesting adventures, is to be married before the volume is half finished? Is he not to be deceived in the object of his adoration, to find himself' crossed in hopeless love,' to discover that Evelyn is not herself, but somebody else—perhaps the daughter of a foreign prince, and that to attain her hand Vivian would have to be a prince, too?" well-he was, in all but the name. And we hope to be pardoned for

the novelty in a novel that permits every thing to take a natural and quiet course.

Romance writers are often slyly reminded that the union of the hero and heroine of the piece has the same magical effect that the name of "Jacky me nory's" brother, in the classic rhymes in which this personage is commemorated, has upon the "story" he illustrates; and that when this union takes place, "the story's done."

This is not wonderful, and it may be accounted for without the unamiable reason too often alleged, that the hero and heroine, when united, are less happy, less loving, or less romantic than before. It is only because their happiness then is too unalloyed, too "unchangingly bright" for a picture, where there must be shadows as well as sunshine to give it interest in the eyes of others. For themselves, this "long sunny lapse of a summer-day's light" is all they wish, nor is there danger that their love will ever "fall asleep in its sameness of splendor." They need no dark shadows with which to contrast their existence. It flows on like a gentle stream without a ripple on its wave, only deepened and widened by others that join it in its course, and they still flow on together until they are merged in the ocean of eternity.

If the reader is anxious to pass over the next three or four months, such a sentiment accords entirely with the feeling of Vivian, who saw the fresh young graces of spring matured into matronly summer, and summer fading into gray autumn with undisguised satisfaction.

During this period we must be content to leave

the young couple unmolested, without taking the liberties of Asmodius, which we should have been compelled to do, if we desired to witness any of the interviews of the lovers. The "boiteux" would have had a difficult task in taking off three stories from the top of a noble mansion, before he could have enjoyed even a glimpse of the elegant and luxurious apartment in which they were seated, "conning their fairy lore" of possible and impossible happiness, and arranging their bright beautiful plans for their future life.

Castles in the air at last subsided into castles on the earth, and the happy appointed day arrived.

We should be suspected of borrowing from some fashionable journal of the time, if all the details of this memorable occasion were given-details so deeply interesting to those concerned, but perchance possessing rather less of interest to those who are not in immediate anticipation of such an event for themselves. But we may be permitted to express our admiration of the beautiful bride, who looked more beautiful than ever in her dress and veil of Brussels lace, the diamonds that rivalled her bright eyes, and the delicate wreath of mingled clematis and orange blossoms that rested lightly on her golden hair, and of the lovely group of white-robed demoiselles d'honneur, first of whom was Constance, claiming the sweet name of "sister," and looking, in her radiant happiness, as if her airy dress of silvery white was but a floating cloud on which a seraph rested.

How shall we descend from such ethereal visions to the more substantial touches in the picture? We may, indeed, rest a moment on the elegant young

bridegroom, whose highest dream of personal vanity, -though we are happy to say he had but little of this frailty,-might have been realized by the whisper heard on every side, of "what a beautiful pair!" and for another moment on the handsome young bridesmen, with their white favors and superb bouquets of flowers, to be presented in due season to the ladies of their choice in the white-robed group. And yet another moment we might dwell upon the elegant company, and the enchanting union of music, light, and gayety. Last of all, though not least to those who were sublunary enough to appreciate such accessories, the superb supper, the choice old wine laid aside for the occasion when the lovely bride was born, -the white and gilt boxes filled with wedding cake, curiously iced with appropriate devices, and piled up in the hall for all who wished to bear off mementoes of the bridal fête in departing.

All this, and much more, "is it not written in the chronicles" of the time? We must therefore pass on to events of equal importance in our story, though it would hardly be possible to dwell on one more interesting to those two of our dramatis personæ, who have, so far, been its hero and heroine.

An intimation has already been given that Mr Melville had decided on going abroad soon after the bridal. It is not necessary to our story to know the exact reason that influenced him in this movement. A visit to Europe is so every-day an occurrence that it is needless to give any particular reason for it on the present occasion. Mr. Melville was a man of