CHAP. XV. Sweet is the breath of vernal fhower, GRAY. ON the following day, the arrival of her friend revived the drooping Emily, and La Vallée became once more the fcene of focial kindness and of elegant hospitality. Illness and the terror fhe had fuffered had ftolen from Blanche much of her sprightlinefs, but all her affectionate fimplicity remained, and, though the appeared lefs blooming, fhe was not lefs engaging than before. The unfortunate adventure on the Pyrenées had made the Count very anxious to reach home, and, after little more than a week's stay at La Vallée, Emily prepared to fet out with her friends for Languedoc, affigning the care of her house, during her abfence, to Therefa. On On the evening, preceding her departure, this old fervant brought again the ring of Valancourt, and, with tears, entreated her mistress to receive it, for that fhe had neither feen, or heard of M. Valancourt, since the night when he delivered it to her. As fhe faid this, her countenance expreffed more alarm, than fhe dared to utter; but Emily, checking her own propensity to fear, confidered, that he had probably returned to the refidence of his brother, and, again refusing to accept the ring, bade Therefa preserve it, till she saw him, which, with extreme reluctance, fhe promised to do. On the following day, Count De Villefort, with Emily and the Lady Blanche, left La Vallée, and on the enfuing evening, arrived at the Chateau-le-Blanc, where the Countefs, Henri, and M. Du Pont, whom Emily was surprised to find there, received them with much joy and congratulation. She was concerned to obferve, that the Count ftill encouraged the hopes of his friend, whofe contenance declared, that his affec tion had fuffered no abatement from abfence; and was much diftreffed, when, on the fecond evening after her arrival, the Count, having withdrawn her from the Lady Blanche, with whom she was walking, renewed the fubject of M. Du Pont's hopes. The mildness, with which the liftened to his interceffions at first, deceiving him, as to her fentiments, he began to believe, that, her affection for Valancourt being overcome, she was, at length, difpofed to think favourably of M. Du Pont; and, when the afterwards convinced him of his mistake, he ventured, in the earnestness of his wish to promote what he confidered to be the happiness of two perfons, whom he so much esteemed, gently to remonstrate with her, on thus fuffering an ill-placed affection to poifon the happiness of her most valuable years. Obferving her filence and the deep dejection of her countenance, he concluded with faying, "I will not fay more now, but I will still believe, my dear Mademoiselle St. Aubert, that you will not always reject a VOL. IV. Q perfon, perfon, fo truly eftimable as my friend Du Pont." He spared her the pain of replying, by leaving her; and fhe ftrolled on, fomewhat displeased with the Count for having perfe vered to plead for a suit, which she had repeatedly rejected, and lost amidst the melancholy recollections, which this topic had revived, till fhe had infenfibly reached the borders of the woods, that screened the monaftery of St. Clair, when, perceiving how far fhe had wandered, fhe determined to extend her walk a little farther, and to enquire after the abbefs and fome of her friends among the nuns. Though the evening was now drawing to a clofe, fhe accepted the invitation of the friar, who opened the gate, and, anxious to meet fome of her old acquaintance, proceeded towards the convent parlour. fhe croffed the lawn, that floped from the front of the monaftery towards the fea, fhe was ftruck with the picture of repose, exhibited by fome monks, fitting in the cloifters, As which extended under the brow of the woods, that crowned this eminence; where, as they meditated, at this twilight hour, holy fubjects, they fometimes fuffered their attention to be relieved by the fcene before them, nor thought it profane to look at nature, now that it had exchanged the bril liant colours of day for the fober hue of evening. Before the cloifters, however, spread an ancient chefnut, whose ample branches were defigned to fcreen the full magnificence of a scene, that might tempt the wish to worldly pleasures; but ftill, beneath the dark and fpreading foliage, gleamed a wide extent of ocean, and many a paffing fail; while, to the right and left, thick woods were feen ftretching along the winding hores. So much as this had been admitted, perhaps, to give to the fecluded votary an image of the dangers and viciffitudes of life, and to confole him, now that he had renounced its pleafures, by the certainty of having efcaped its evils. As Emily walked penfively Q2 |