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you have proclaimed yourself her champion, and deemed the desolate Haelbeck, so long as you could share it with her, a very paradise upon earth! Reciprocal love must indeed sublimise the soul, almost to an antepast of the celestial beatitudes, when the heart can find it sweet to make sacrifices and encounter perils for the object of its secret attachment, even where it feels the passion to be unrequited, nay, even where it knows the affections of that object to be devoted to another.".

Constantia had spoken with enthusiasm, for she had been giving utterance to her own deep feelings; she had pressed her hand upon her heart, for she had been converting its pulsations into language; she had been gazing intently upon Jocelyn, for she had been speaking of unrequited love; and all this she had done unconsciously but a sudden recollection of her own predicament, and a fear that he might suspect her of having made allusions to herself, covered her with a momentary confusion, which she en

deavoured to conceal by an air of coldness and reserve, as she rose up and exclaimed, "But I forget that I am only an idle theorist in these matters; and you who are, or imagine yourself to be, acquainted with the passions, will doubtless smile at my visionary speculations. You have, perhaps, chosen the wiser path. If you seek favour from public opinion-if you think it will reward you for the happiness you have thrown away at Haelbeck-if you hope that it will embellish the life which you owe solely to a contempt of its censure-go, fall down before your deity, worship it, lay your head and your heart at its feet, and enjoy the glory of offering yourself up as a martyr to a blind and capricious idol. For me, it is time to make atonement for my rebellion against its authority; the life, for whose preservation I spurned it, is now secured; and I return to my allegiance. I shall see you no more, but I will not leave you without pro viding a regular physician to complete your curę."

"If I may not owe that additional favour to the continued kindness of Constantia Beverning," said Jocelyn, "let me at least be exempted from other visitation, which will be as unacceptable as I feel it to be unnecessary."

"It is indispensable," said Constantia; "you must be reported convalescent before the interdict can be removed from the house. May you never hereafter need the ministering, either of an unlicensed practitioner like myself, or of any more professional adviser. Fare you well, Sir! I have taken one more parting liberty; unauthorized by usage, in leaving a purse upon the table, whose contents may, perhaps, be required, until the world, your master, remunerates you for your services. Nay, Sir, no denials, no protestations; you have given proof of your disdain of obligation; I have no doubt you will return it when you think fit, as punctually as you did my scarf." As she made this remark, her face exhibited a slight expression of regret, almost of reproach; but it passed away, and her counte

nance quickly resumed its look of serious though

benignant beauty.

"Leave me not, I beseech you,” exclaimed Jocelyn, "until you have enabled me, if you have the power, to decide between myself and Julia, by clearing up the mystery in which the fate of her father is involved."

"I have the power,” replied Constantia, with an expression of solemnity; "but I thought you had seen enough of our sex at Haelbeck to believe, that in spite of the sneers of fools and ribalds, a secret may be best entrusted to the inviolable custody of a woman. When I know that a single syllable might occasion the horrible doom, that hangs over his head, to fall and crush him, these lips will remain as sacredly closed as if they had been sealed up by the finger of death. It is enough for you that I pronounce Julia to be innocent.-Innocent! my heart upbraids me for insulting her with a praise so cold and negative. She is every thing that is pure, noble, and exemplary! She is one whom a woman may in

deed be proud to call her friend; one whom that man will eternally regret, who has forfeited the opportunity of calling her his wife. Once more, Sir, farewell! I ask you not to forget me; the name of Constantia will be spontaneously, and I hope rapidly, obliterated from your memory: but I do implore you not to forget Him, by whose manifest interposition you have been saved; aud though your deference to the world may induce you to throw away your happiness upon earth, never, oh never, let it lead you to surrender your hopes of heaven!"

Jocelyn was beginning to pour forth the most fervent vows of gratitude, when she waved her hand; and, pointing upwards to the sky, as if to indicate that his thanksgivings should be addressed to Heaven, she walked slowly and silently out of the apartment.

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