by the exquisite elegance and taste of every embellishment. Nor was the repast incompatible with the splendid saloon appropriated for its reception. The most scientific culinary artists had been engaged to furnish it, and the guests seemed resolved to do full justice to their skill.

Long sittings after a feast being happily as much unpractised in France at that period, as they are now, the company, after drinking the health of the bride and bridegroom, with that of the munificent foundress of the entertainment, took their departure at an early hour; and Julia, Jocelyn, and Mrs. Walton proceeded immediately in a carriage to keep their appointment with Constantia. The driver stopped at the arched doorway of an extensive and ancient pile with projecting stone-shafted windows, of which the glass was rendered impervious to sight, by being stained of a deep purple colour. They alighted and were ushered into a small plainly-furnished parlour, much wondering what could be the meaning of this mysterious rendezvous, or the object of a small green curtain which hung against the wall on one side of the chamber. Their doubts as to the latter were presently dispelled, for the curtain being slowly drawn up, discovered an iron grating, behind which was seen a female figure, attired as a candidate nun, who is about to take the veil. It was Constantia! Her dark luxuriant locks had been all cut off, and the plain black coif that enclosed

her face, imparted a pale hue to her countenance, while it made her eyes appear even more large and lustrous than usual; altogether injuring the general character of her beauty, but assimilating well with the solemn, though sweet and serene, expression of her features at the present moment. "Constantia !" exclaimed her three visitants, in accents of profound amazement.

“Yes, my dear friends," she replied: "it is Constantia, who, having this morning accomplished, by your happy union, every object for which she wished to live, is about to exchange the world and all its anxieties, for the seclusion and happiness of the cloister. This step I have long contemplated; to this destiny I was peculiarly adapted by my temperament—to this destiny am I now inevitably impelled by the circumstances of my fate. There was but one woman, to whom my whole heart was bound by the ties of friendship; there was but one man for whomin whose favour-" She paused, blushed deeply, and appeared confused. At length, after a few moments' deliberation, she continued, still, however, keeping her eyes fixed upon the ground"Should I not rather be proud of so difficult a victory, than ashamed to confess a weakness that I have conquered? There was but one woman to whom I was bound by friendship, there was but one man whom I loved. I have triumphed over my passion-I have proved the sincerity of 22

VOL. III.

I

my friendship—I have made these two people happy by bestowing them upon one another-I have not lived in vain. My purpose in life has been accomplished; I am now useless to the world, and to me it has lost all its attractions. What is man?-Yesterday's clay, to-morrow's dust! In a few short years all that moves, or owns the breath of life, will have passed away. I cannot attach myself to this fleeting pageant ; my soul rejects its tantalizing and evanescent joys, and yearns for more enduring beatitudes. have therefore resigned it, that I may dedicate myself to Heaven; and that our double wedding may be solemnized on the same day, I am about to become the bride of an immortal Bridegroom. The ring with which I am to be married to Him has been already laid upon the altar; this night I am to pronounce the vows, and to be solemnly invested with the veil; and this, therefore, my dear friends, is the last time, in this world at least, that we shall ever-ever—” Again she paused, for her voice had grown indistinct and tremulous, while her throat, swelling with the emotion which she in vain struggled to subdue, denied her the power of further utterance.

Julia, who guessed the threatened separation, rather by the distress of her friend than by her expressions, rushed forward, and falling upon her knees, while she held up her clasped hands against the iron bars, passionately exclaimed

"Oh, no, no, no! My kind, my generous, my noble benefactress! my own Constantia ! you cannot, will not leave us for ever! We may at least see you, if it be only thus ;-if it be only to convince you that you have not sacrificed yourself in vain, to prove to you that we are happy -to renew to you the assurances of our eternal gratitude."

"It must not be," said Constantia, shaking her head-"I should not dare to trust my heart; a minute's interview might destroy all the resolutions of a month. Julia, Jocelyn, Mrs. Walton help me to be firm. Prove yourselves to be indeed my friends by assisting me to support this most painful-most trying-" In spite of all her efforts, the tears flowed so fast that she was again unable to proceed, until she had paused for a few moments, when she gathered strength to exclaim-" These are the tears of the flesh, not of the spirit; the body is weak, but the soul is firm. My dear, dear friends, farewell! farewell for ever! Consider me as bidding you a last adieu from my death-bed; these hands which I pass to you through the bars of my convent, consider them as being stretched out to you from the grave; hence-forward look upon Constantia as dead!"

At this instant the chapel-bell of the convent began to toll for the approaching ceremony, a sound which, in conjunction with the last words

she had heard, fell with such an appalling effect upon Julia's ear, that uttering a shriek of anguish, she threw herself upon Constantia's extended arm, grasping it as if she would prevent the execution of her purpose, and sobbing aloud in an uncontrollable agony of grief. Mrs. Walton, whose firmer soul had hitherto enabled her to support the scene, now yielded to her emotion; her compressed lips moved rapidly up and down, the lower part of her face was convulsed, and the tears rolled rapidly, though silently down her cheeks. Jocelyn, who had been endeavouring to set an example of firmness, was no longer able to resist the contagion of the distress that surrounded him, and the drops, gushing suddenly from his eyes, rained upon the hand that had been held out to him through the bars.

"Oh God!" exclaimed Constantia, with vehemence; "this is too much ;-women are feeble and sensitive creatures; I can bear to see them weep. But the tears of a man of the man whom I Spare me this pang.-Oh, spare me for the love of mercy! Send me not to my heavenly espousals desecrated with the tears of an earthly attachment."

She had shut her eyes as if to avoid the sight, and now withdrawing her hands, and pressing them both upon her left side, apparently in much pain, from the violent heaving of her bosom, she ejaculated :-"My heart! my throb