which extends the boundaries of love beyond those of life itself.
Oh! my loved one, may the genius of love remain faithful to me,
and the future be full of those delights by means of which you
have glorified all that surrounds me! I long for the day which
shall make you a mother, that I may see you content with the
fulness of your life, may hear you, in the sweet voice I love and
with the thoughts, bless the love which has refreshed my soul and
given new vigor to my powers, the love which is my pride, and
whence I have drawn, as from a magic fountain, fresh life. Yes, I
shall be all that you would have me. I shall take a leading part
in the public life of the district, and on you shall fall the rays
of a glory which will owe its existence to the desire of pleasing
you."

So much for my pupil, dear! Do you suppose he could have written like
this before? A year hence his style will have still further improved.
Louis is now in his first transport; what I look forward to is the
uniform and continuous sensation of content which ought to be the
fruit of a happy marriage, when a man and woman, in perfect trust and
mutual knowledge, have solved the problem of giving variety to the
infinite. This is the task set before every true wife; the answer
begins to dawn on me, and I shall not rest till I have made it mine.

You see that he fancies himself--vanity of men!--the chosen of my
heart, just as though there were no legal bonds. Nevertheless, I have
not yet got beyond that external attraction which gives us strength to
put up with a good deal. Yet Louis is lovable; his temper is
wonderfully even, and he performs, as a matter of course, acts on
which most men would plume themselves. In short, if I do not love him,
I shall find no difficulty in being good to him.