sportsman's business, with keen relish both for the pursuit and the prey,
and a view of the termination of his pastime. Their feelings he could
appreciate during the time when they flew and fell, perhaps a little
longer; but the change in his own feelings withdrew him from the
communion of sentiment. This is the state of men who frequent the
avenues of success. At present he was thinking of a wife, and he
approved the epistle to the baroness cordially.

'I do think it a nice kind of letter, and quite humble enough,' said
Clotilde.

He agreed, 'Yes, yes: she knows already that this is really serious with
me.'

So much for the baroness.

Now for their parting. A parting that is no worse than the turning of a
page to a final meeting is made light of, but felt. Reason is all in our
favour, and yet the gods are jealous of the bliss of mortals; the slip
between the cup and the lip is emotionally watched for, even though it be
not apprehended, when the cup trembles for very fulness. Clotilde
required reassuring and comforting: 'I am certain you will prevail; you
must; you cannot be resisted; I stand to witness to the fact,' she sighed
in a languor: 'only, my people are hard to manage. I see more clearly
now, that I have imposed on them; and they have given away by a sort of
compact so long as I did nothing decisive. That I see. But, then again,
have I not your spirit in me now? What has ever resisted you?--Then,
as I am Alvan's wife, I share his heart with his fortunes, and I do not
really dread the scenes from anticipating failure, still-the truth is,
I fear I am three parts an actress, and the fourth feels itself a