calculated to convey to the reader an impression that the feelings of the
lover were not altogether adequately returned. Frequently the writer, as
if Brandon had expressed himself sensible of this conviction, reproached
him for unjust jealousy and unworthy suspicion. And the tone of the
reproach varied in each letter; sometimes it was gay and satirizing; at
others soft and expostulatory; at others gravely reasoning, and often
haughtily indignant. Still, throughout the whole correspondence, on the
part of the mistress, there was a sufficient stamp of individuality to
give a shrewd examiner some probable guess at the writer's character. He
would have judged her, perhaps, capable of strong and ardent feeling, but
ordinarily of a light and capricious turn, and seemingly prope to imagine
and to resent offence. With these letters were mingled others in
Brandon's writing,--of how different, of how impassioned a description!
All that a deep, proud, meditative, exacting character could dream of
love given, or require of love returned, was poured burningly over the
pages; yet they were full of reproach, of jealousy, of a nice and
torturing observation, as calculated to wound as the ardour might be
fitted to charm; and often the bitter tendency to disdain that
distinguished his temperament broke through the fondest enthusiasm of
courtship or the softest outpourings of love.

"You saw me not yesterday," he wrote in one letter, "but I saw you;
all day I was by you: you gave not a look which passed me unnoticed;
you made not a movement which I did not chronicle in my memory.
Julia, do you tremble when I tell you this? Yes, if you have a
heart, I know these words would stab it to the core! You may affect
to answer me indignantly! Wise dissembler! it is very skilful,
very, to assume anger when you have no reply. I repeat during the
whole of that party of pleasure (pleasure! well, your tastes, it
must be acknowledged, are exquisite!) which you enjoyed yesterday,