When, 'midst those numbered days, she made repair Again to kindred worthless of her care.

"Tis true she said the tidings she would write Would make her absence on his heart sit light; But, haplessly, revealed not yet her plan,

And left him in his home a lonely man.

“Thus damped in thoughts, he mused upon the past: 'Twas long since he had heard from UDOLPH last, And deep misgivings on his spirit fell

That all with UDOLPH's household was not well. 'Twas that too true prophetic mood of fear

That augurs griefs inevitably near,

Yet makes them not less startling to the mind When come. Least looked-for then of human kind, His UDOLPH ('twas, he thought, at first, his sprite,) With mournful joy that morn surprised his sight. How changed was UDOLPH! Scarce THEODRIC durst Inquire his tidings; he revealed the worst.

At first,' he said, as JULIA bade me tell,

She bore her fate high-mindedly and well,
Resolved from common eyes her grief to hide,
And from the world's compassion saved our pride;
But still her health gave way to secret wo,

And long she pined for broken hearts die slow!
Her reason went, but came returning, like
The warning of her death-hour- soon to strike;
And all for which she now, poor sufferer! sighs,
Is once to see THEODRIC ere she dies.

--

Why should I come to tell you this caprice?
Forgive me! for my mind has lost its peace.

I blame myself, and ne'er shall cease to blame,
That my insane ambition for the name

Of brother to THEODRIC, founded all

Those high-built hopes that crushed her by their fall I made her slight her mother's counsel sage,

But now my parents droop with grief and age;

And, though my sister's eyes mean no rebuke,
They overwhelm me with their dying look.

The journey's long, but you are full of ruth;
And she who shares your heart, and knows its truth,
Has faith in your affection, far above

The fear of a poor dying object's love.'

'She has, my UDOLPH,' he replied, "'tis true;
And oft we talk of JULIA-oft of you.'

Their converse came abruptly to a close;
For scarce could each his troubled looks compose,
When visitants, to CONSTANCE near akin,
(In all but traits of soul,) were ushered in.
They brought not her, nor midst their kindred band
The sister who alone, like her, was bland;
But said- and smiled to see it give him pain-
That CONSTANCE would a fortnight yet remain.
Vexed by their tidings, and the haughty view
They cast on UDOLPH as the youth withdrew,
THEODRIC blamed his CONSTANCE's intent.

"The demons went, and left him as they went
To read, when they were gone beyond recall,
A note from her loved hand explaining all.
She said, that with their house she only stayed
That parting peace might with them all be made.
But prayed for love to share his foreign life,
And shun all future chance of kindred strife.
He wrote with speed, his soul's consent to say:
The letter missed her on her homeward way.
In six hours CONSTANCE was within his arms:
Moved, flushed, unlike her wonted calm of charms,
And breathless-with uplifted hands outspread

Burst into tears upon his neck, and said,

'I knew that those who brought your message laughed, With poison of their own to point the shaft ;

And this my one kind sister thought, yet loath

Confessed she feared 'twas true you had been wroth.

But here you are, and smile on me: my pain
Is gone, and CONSTANCE is herself again.'
His ecstacy, it may be guessed, was much :
Yet pain's extreme and pleasure's seemed to touch.
What pride! embracing beauty's perfect mould;
What terror! lest his few rash words, mistold,

Had agonized her pulse to fever's heat:
But calmed again so soon it healthful beat,
And such sweet tones were in her voice's sound,
Composed herself, she breathed composure round.

"Fair being! with what sympathetic grace
She heard, bewailed, and pleaded JULIA's case;
Implored he would her dying wish attend,

And go,' she said, to-morrow with your friend;
I'll wait for your return on England's shore,
And then we'll cross the deep, and part no more.'

"To-morrow both his soul's compassion drew To JULIA'S call, and CONSTANCE urged anew That not to heed her now would be to bind

A load of pain for life upon his mind.

He went with UDOLPH from his CONSTANCE went.

Stifling, alas! a dark presentiment

Some aliment lurked, ev'n whilst she smiled, to mock His fears of harm from yester-morning's shock.

Meanwhile a faithful page he singled out,

To watch at home, and follow straight his route,
If aught of threatened change her health should show
-With UDOLPH then he reached the house of wo.

"That winter's eve how darkly Nature's brow
Scowled on the scenes it lights so lovely now!
The tempest, raging o'er the realms of ice,
Shook fragments from the rifted precipice;
And, whilst their falling echoed to the wind,
The wolf's long howl in dismal discord joined,

While white yon water's foam was raised in clouds That whirled like spirits wailing in their shrouds : Without was Nature's elemental din

And beauty died, and friendship wept, within

"Sweet JULIA, though her fate was finished half,
Still knew him-smiled on him with feeble laugh—
And blessed him, till she drew her latest sigh!
But lo! while UDOLPH's bursts of agony,
And age's tremulous wailings, round him rose,
What accents pierced him deeper yet than those!
"Twas tidings, by his English messenger,
Of CONSTANCE- brief and terrible they were.
She still was living when the page set out
From home, but whether now was left in doubt.
Poor JULIA! saw he then thy death's relief —
Stunned into stupor more than wrung with grief?
It was not strange; for in the human breast

Two master-passions cannot coexist,

And that alarm which now usurped his brain
Shut out not only peace, but other pain.
'Twas fancying CONSTANCE underneath the shroud
That covered JULIA made him first weep loud,
And tear himself away from them that wept.
Fast hurrying homeward, night nor day he slept,

Till, launched at sea, he dreamed that his soul's saint
Clung to him on a bridge of ice, pale, faint,
O'er cataracts of blood. Awake, he blessed
The shore; nor hope left utterly his breast,
Till reaching home, terrific omen! there
The straw-laid street preluded his despair-
The servant's look - the table that revealed
His letter sent to CONSTANCE last, still sealed -
Though speech and hearing left him, told too clear
That he had now to suffer not to fear.

He felt as if he ne'er should cease to feel

A wretch live-broken on misfortune's wheel:

Her death's cause- he might make his peace with

Heaven,

Absolved from guilt but never self-forgiven.

"The ocean has its ebbings-so has grief;
"Twas vent to anguish, if 'twas not relief,
To lay his brow ev'n on her death-cold cheek.
Then first he heard her one kind sister speak:
She bade him, in the name of Heaven, forbear
With self-reproach to deepen his despair:

"Twas blame,' she said, 'I shudder to relate,
But none of yours, that caused our darling's fate;

Her mother (must I call her such ?) foresaw,

Should CONSTANCE leave the land, she would withdraw
Our House's charm against the world's neglect -
The only gem that drew it some respect.

Hence, when you went, she came and vainly spoke
To change her purpose
grew incensed, and broke
With execrations from her kneeling child.
Start not! your angel from her knee rose mild,
Feared that she should not long the scene outlive,
Yet bade even you the unnatural one forgive.
Till then her ailment had been slight, or none;
But fast she drooped, and fatal pains came on:
Foreseeing their event, she dictated

And signed these words for you.' The letter said—

66 6
"THEODRIC, this is destiny above

Our power to baffle; bear it then, my love!
Rave not to learn the usage I have borne,

For one true sister left me not forlorn;
And though you're absent in another land,
Sent from me by my own well-meant command,
Your soul, I know, as firm is knit to mine
As these clasped hands in blessing you now join.
Shape not imagined horrors in my fate-
Even now my sufferings are not very great