cheerfulness had gradually died away; she was often for hours silent and abstracted, while a certain restlessness of look and manner plainly indicated the constant expectation of a something which was never realized; and if at first the Richmond ball had fallen short of what she had anticipated, still more did the visit to Trevelyan Castle appear to have ended in disappointment. Above a week had now elapsed since their arrival, each day having brought some change or addition to the society at the castle, but Lord St. Ives had not yet made his appearance, being still at a friend's house in the - neighbourhood. At last, one afternoon, when the whole party had gone up stairs to dress for dinner, a carriage drove up to the door, and on enquiring of his servant what new visiters were come, Trevelyan was informed that it was the young heir and two other gentlemen with him. As soon as he was dressed, Trevelyan went down stairs in order to be introduced to his cousin, (whom he had not seen since he was quite a child,) before the rest of the party were assembled. On entering the drawingroom, he, however, found many of the guests there already, but Lord St. Ives had not yet made his appear ance. At last, the door leading from Lord Launceston's private apartment opened, and the father and son entered arm-in-arm. “ Well, here he is-here he is!" exclaimed the former as he exultingly looked around for the congratulations of all his friends. "And first and foremost, Frederick," said he, beckoning to Trevelyan, here to me, that I may regularly introduce you to my boy." 66 come The cousins heartily shook hands, and said and did all that cousins should or could say and do on such an occasion. "Now, have I said too much about him?" demanded the proud parent, as he observed a smile of satisfaction on Trevelyan's countenance, "and I assure you the more you know of him the more you will approve." "Oh! spare me, my dear sir," said St. Ives, "it is really not fair to begin by making my relations laugh at me, and now that Colonel Trevelyan and I are acquainted, allow me to introduce my two friends to you;" and so saying he went in search of his companions, while Trevelyan turned to speak to Mr. Penrhyn, a distant connexion of the Launceston family, who had also arrived that afternoon at the castle. They were discussing the young heir's appearance, prospects, and attainments, when suddenly a name caught Trevelyan's attention, which seemed instantly to act like an electric shock upon all his senses; he turned hastily round in hopes that his ears might have deceived him, but was not allowed to doubt another minute, for, as his eyes searched eagerly in the direction from which the sound had proceeded, they fell on the dreaded Lord Herbert Leslie, whom St. Ives was at that moment presenting to his father. Theresa herself did not start more violently on recognising him at the Richmond ball than Trevelyan did now. In vain Mr. Penrhyn continued addressing him; he heard not a word, but continued staring at his hated rival in stupified vexation. Lord Herbert at length turned towards Trevelyan, and, immediately recognising him, accosted him with the familiarity of an acknowledged acquaintance. "I believe you two need no introduction," said St. Ives, who had, with some surprise, observed Trevelyan to draw back, "for I understand you and my friend Les lie have met before at Richmond." Trevelyan murmured something about the pleasure and honour of a former acquaintance, but the words seemed to stick in his throat. "I too "You have been here some time, I believe," said Lord Herbert, with most provoking ease of manner. hoped to have come much sooner, but St. Ives is so dreadfully popular, it was impossible to get him away from his friends before. Miss Howard is quite well, I trust, for I believe she accompanied you into Cornwall?" Trevelyan dryly assented, and then, taking the first opportunity to disengage himself from his companion, fell back into a more distant part of the room, in order to compose his agitated feelings, and also, unobserved, to judge of the effect produced upon his ward by this unexpected appearance of her admirer. Before long she entered, accompanied by Miss Tre velyan. As her quick eyes eagerly glanced round the room, they immediately discovered Lord Herbert, and in their unequivocal expression Trevelyan read the deathwarrant to all his happiness. So violent was the agitation occasioned by this sudden apparition, that, for an instant, the blood entirely forsook Theresa's cheeks, but when Lord Herbert, on recognizing her, instantly hastened to her side, it returned with a glow such as Trevelyan had never before witnessed.-His heart sickened-his head became confused—and he stood fixed in his place, unconscious of every thing around him. He was at last roused from this painful trance by the announcement of dinner, and mechanically followed the rest into the adjoining apartment. Whether Theresa that day looked round for her usual companion we cannot tell, but when Trevelyan, in fearful anxiety to ascertain his fate, glanced his eyes round the table, he beheld her at the further end, Lord Herbert at her side, and her countenance brilliant with happiness. Once, and but once, during dinner, their eyes met :-a burning blush instantly confessed that Theresa was aware of all that his might say-that she merited their keenest approaches. And, in that one hasty glance, they who but a few hours before had appeared to live only for each other now seemed by mutual consent to take a final leave; for Trevelyan never again looked towards her, nor ever, during the evening which followed, approached the spot where she was; Lord Herbert the while so entirely and determinately monopolising her society, that, even had she wished for any intercourse with another, it would have been next to impossible. What a change had those few hours made in Trevelyan's existence! He had risen that morning, welcoming with gratitude the sun which was to shine on Theresa's beloved countenance, counting the hours of ecstasy which he was to pass at her side; and ere that sun had set, all his hopes of happiness seemed about to set for ever with it, and to leave him in the darkness of despair. Miss Trevelyan was not blind to all that was now passing: she had with pain observed Theresa's emotion on the appearance of Lord Herbert, and, inexperienced as she was in such matters, she began to suspect that he had made a deeper impression on her young friend's heart than she had before been willing to think possible--and each day, each hour, indeed, now confirmed her fears. She tried every expedient to interrupt the intercourse between them, and attract Theresa's attention to other objects; but it is as easy to stop the impetuous course of a mountain torrent as to check that of passion, when once the soul has unawares yielded to its influence. Miss Trevelyan even ventured so far as to speak to Theresa on the subject, warning her to be on her guard against a species of admiration, which, often prompted by the mere vanity of him who professes it, only lures into mortification and misery the unconscious dupe to whom it is addressed. But to all this Theresa listened with impatient incredulity; her heart told her a very different tale, and, impelled by fascination which she was both unwilling and unable to resist, she each day became more and more entangled in the snare, and more estranged from him whose whole soul was devoted to her, and whose heart she was breaking. Theresa could not now but be aware of this, for one single page in the history of love, when perused by ourselves, teaches us volumes as to the feelings of others. He too, whom she was thus afflicting, was one whose heart lay open to her; and who, until her's was engrossed by a more powerful sentiment, had been the object of her dearest affections, her warmest gratitude, and most ardent admiration; one whose superiority to all around she still could not but acknowledge, and whose altered, suffering countenance, whenever it met her eye, occasioned many a pang of remorse to her heart, even while her deluded ear rang with Lord Herbert's professions. Miss Trevelyan often sought opportunities to speak to her brother, but he shunned all conversation with her nearly as much as with Theresa, for, although what he most dreaded was hearing from her lips a confirmation of his fears, yet, in his present state of mind, he felt that even their contradiction would irritate his feelings. He, therefore, in order to avoid as much as possible all intercourse with those who had but a short time back formed his whole felicity, took violently to every species of country-sport, and thus, in desperation, abandoned the field to his rival. The crew with many a mimic strain, Drunk with the cup thou long'st to taste, To spurn a precious vow. Old Song. THE whole scene and society at Trevelyan Castle seemed on a sudden to be as much changed since the arrival of Lord St. Ives and his young companions, as Trevelyan himself, and the part which he played in it. Lady Augusta, as mistress of the house, was attentive to the amusement of her guests, but, beyond driving them out in the morning, and setting them down to cards in the evening, she had little power of entertaining them, and the party had, in consequence, been hitherto dull and formal enough. But now all was life and gaiety. Every possible game and pastime was immediately set a-going, and every evening the younger part of the company amused themselves with music and dancing. Augusta had always before herself made up her father's whistparty, but her brother, ridiculing her old-fashioned gravity, and insisting on her joining the dancers, she at last applied to Trevelyan to take her place at the card-table. To refuse was impossible; besides, in his present melancholy mood, he rather welcomed an occupation which afforded him an excuse for silence and abstraction. Many an evening, therefore, did Trevelyan now thus pass, fixed at his post, while Theresa, in the adjoining room, was freely partaking of that gaiety with which all but himself seemed inspired. At times, when his ear caught the sounds of her well-known voice, or he heard VOL. I. 10 |