kindness of the unoffending girl, and condemned his want of gratitude.

Isidore," said Di Rinaldini, taking the trembling hand of the youth, "am I to credit the conclusions of Father Brazilio ? Is Vannina the happy object of your solicitude ?"

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Happy!" eagerly repeated the pilgrim; "would you think her happy?" "Yes," mournfully; "the chosen object of a heart like yours, must be happy."

"Blessed Virgin !" yielding to his feelings; but, instantly recovering himself, he added-"Then Vannina is not happy; no, Signor, Vannina is not the chosen possessor of my heart."

"Your words tacitly acknowledge it to be possessed: if so, wherefore do you linger at Montranzo?"

Isidore clasped his hands, and sighed.

"I feel strangely interested in your fu

K 6

ture

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ture fate," pursued Huberto:" tell me, is it in the compass of my ability to remove the seeming cloud which hangs upon your spirits, to restore your mind to serenity?" "Till I entered Montranzo," replied the youth, misery, care, and apprehension, marked my daily thoughts, my nightly visions; since I have become its inmate, peace, quiet, and security have succeeded : what then but friendship can my heart picture ?"

"Such once were my feelings," exclaimed Di Rinaldini; "and yet that friendship changed its colour, that friendship ripened into love.-You weep; ah, surely your sensitive heart too deeply imbibes the sorrows of my fate!

You trem

ble, you turn away your face. Isidore, my mind boasts a strength I once thought it never more could have possessed: to talk of Adelheida, calls not forth the agonizing burst of grief; rather does it sooth the pang of recollection, for time has softened it into melancholy. Ah! why that look?

it seems to pronounce the name of Hemelfride!-Alas, my friend, my feelings cannot bear reproach! Had you yielded to my suggestions, Adelheida should have been heard of no more; but, in your sister's name, you rejected my proposal, and restored to my heart the privilege of sor

row."

I Would Hemelfride have robbed it of its sorrow?" eagerly interrogated the pilgrim.

"Hemelfride would have banished complaint," said Huberto.

"But the smothered woe," concluded Isidore," would have consumed in secret,"

Di Rinaldini replied not.

"It would have corroded the stream of life," mournfully continued the youth, and turned all the gay expectations of a sanguine mind, to bitterness and disappointment.

CHAP.

CHAP. VII.

Ah me! for ought that ever I could read,

Could ever hear, by tale or history,

The course of true love never did run smooth.

SHAKESPEARE,

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ISIDORE," said Vannina, who, having vainly sought him below, had stolen up the turret staircase, and softly opened the door of his chamber, " you are always so intent upon your studies, one would swear your heart owned no passion but the love of improvement."

"And what passion can be more desirable ?" demanded the youth, hastily depositing the exuberant sketches of fancy in a portfolio.

"Stay,"

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Stay," said Vannina; "let me look at that beautiful landscape, and that portrait-the saints keep us! if that portrait isn't the very image of-of-why, sure, I have seen that face-of-in the dress of a sister of Corpus Domini too; and this is"

Unfinished," interrupted Isidore, eagerly snatching the outline of a miniature. Well, but it is to be finished; and then who is it intended for ?"

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"No matter. Fancy," hesitating, "sometimes takes strange flights."

"True; but fancy could not give you such a becoming bloom: I declare, Isidore, I never saw a girl so sweetly painted!"

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Fancy," observed the youth, averting his eyes," possesses a sway unlimited; she dives through the mists of impossibility, and lightens up fresh vigour from the fire of enthusiasm. Oh!" raising his dark eyes to heaven," she cheats life of the pang of endurance, and ameliorates the sharpest throes