shade of sorrow into his clear eyes which beamed with unclouded radiance on her. In the midst of her remorse and solicitude, oh! how inexpressibly dear was he to her heart! Cut off, perhaps for ever, from kindred, country, and the friends of her youth, Antonio now stood before her as the point wherein all her hopes, her joys, her affections must centre; and blessed in the certainty of his unchanging devotion, with his protecting and supporting form at her side, could she regret the sacrifices she had made? Alas! no. She felt, notwithstanding her remorse, that were it even possible to recal the last few weeks, she could not act differently from what she had done. The morning was brilliant, and the youthful pair sat at the window of their cheerful apartment, talking over plans for the future. A serene and entire happiness shone in Antonio's countenance as, with his arm encircling Geraldine's slender waist, he pictured forth a smiling and flowery life; his eloquent and rich language, together with the melodious tones of his voice, stole, like soothing music, into Geraldine's fearful, timid heart, and banished all thoughts, save love for him who spoke, from her gentle bosom. She raised her blue eyes to her husband's face and cast on him a look of earthly tenderness and heavenly purity beautifully blended; her head then sank on his shoulder, and delicious peace spread a serene expression over her features. At this moment her nurse entered the room, and presenting Geraldine with a letter, left them again alone. At sight of her father's well-known, formal hand-writing, poor Geraldine's heart beat tumultuously, and the crimson blood rushed to her face, then retreating, left her of an ashy paleness. By a desperate effort she broke the seal, and her own luckless epistle dropped from the envelope to the ground. She gazed for some moments in silence on the blank paper in her hands, as though unable to comprehend the cruelty of the blow, then, suddenly starting up, she threw herself into her husband's arms and wept long and convulsively. Antonio, as he pressed his weeping bride to feelings of a mother still stirred in her heart, although to disobey his orders never entered her thoughts. The unhappy Geraldine's letter was inclosed in an envelope, and sent, without delay, to the house she had designated in it, as the one where she should impatiently await an answer. Her father then desired that her name might never more be mentioned before him, and he denounced her as the most ungrateful, deceitful, unnatural, and fallen of her sex. In proportion to the pride he had taken in her beauty and accomplishments, was the bitterness and implacability of his anger. Where was the lovely and sublime spirit of our Saviour, which forgives and comforts the erring one? CHAPTER IV. "Oh! I will love thee! when the howling blast "Oh! I will love thee! when my days of bliss, THE next morning found Geraldine awaiting with intense anxiety the answer to her affecting appeal. But though this feeling was paramount in her mind, she allowed no traces of disquietude to appear in her manner. She would not for worlds have grieved her fond and happy young husband; she would not voluntarily bring a shade of sorrow into his clear eyes which beamed with unclouded radiance on her. In the midst of her remorse and solicitude, oh! how inexpressibly dear was he to her heart! Cut off, perhaps for ever, from kindred, country, and the friends of her youth, Antonio now stood before her as the point wherein all her hopes, her joys, her affections must centre; and blessed in the certainty of his unchanging devotion, with his protecting and supporting form at her side, could she regret the sacrifices she had made? Alas! no. She felt, notwithstanding her remorse, that were it even possible to recal the last few weeks, she could not act differently from what she had done. The morning was brilliant, and the youthful pair sat at the window of their cheerful apartment, talking over plans for the future. A serene and entire happiness shone in Antonio's countenance as, with his arm encircling Geraldine's slender waist, he pictured forth a smiling and flowery life; his eloquent and rich language, together with the melodious tones of his voice, stole, like soothing music, |