Part 45 (2/2)

”She shall redee

When Holden left the house of his host, he determined to carry into effect a resolution which, it appeared now to hiely delayed, such was the influence what he had just seen and heard exercised over him That Fate or mathematical Providence, however, in which he so devoutly believed, notwithstanding he acted as though none existed, seemed as if, tired out with his procrastination and irresolution, determined to precipitate events and force him to lift the veil, that for so many years--with a ard teulate the movements of ordinary minds--he had chosen to spread around hihly, if that were possible, of his helplessness on the surging tide of life and of the delusion of those who i now thisto a predetermined order

CHAPTER xxxIX

We receive but e give And in our life alone does nature live

COLERIDGE

Mr Arhter, and to follow the advice of Holden That very , soon after the departure of the Solitary, he accepted an invitation froe Bernard, to take a drive with hily, the one-horse chaise, which was the usual vehicle in those days, of gentlemen who drove the's door

”Anne hopes,” said the Judge, as they were about to start, ”that in retaliation for my capture of your father, Faith, you will co him back with a little more color in his cheeks, I shall expect a kiss or two”

”You shall have three, dear Judge, for every smile you can win froentle the table-land on which their houses were situated, through the thickly-settled and business part of the town, at the head of the Severn, the whole of which it traversed, and then approaching the banks of the Wootuppocut, followed its windings in a direction towards its source The country through which the river flowed presented an appearance of soft and varied beauty, the viehich, while the cool breeze across the strea could, to have soothed his jarring nerves, and breathed a portion of its own tranquillity into his heart Is it not true what the sweet poet sings of Nature and her lover, that

”She glides Into his darker entle sympathy, that steals away Their sharpness ere he is aware?”

The river, for the greater part of the drive, flowed through a valley, which it divided into two very unequal portions, skirting occasionally with its left bank the woods that ran quite down the sides of the hills to the water, and then winding away to the right, leaving considerable intervals of level land betwixt itself and the woods abovestill wider expanses of charadually ascended from the stream, until it met the forest-covered hills that bounded the valley, on the right In some instances, the woods extended on both sides down to the river, throwing an agreeable shade over the way-farers, and shedding abroad a cool, ht with itself a woodland-scent, corance of sassafras, and fern, and sweet-briar, and ain the road would run for a considerable distance through an open space, unshaded by trees, to cross, a little further on, another belt of woods, thus rateful fro the stream murmured a soft expression of thanks for the lovely country it irrigated, for the blue sky, thatclouds, for the sunshi+ne sparkling on its ripples, and for the overhanging woods, and birds, that sung a was not insensible to the charazed round, and drank in the beauty by which he was surrounded

He scented the sweetness of the woods, and it seereeable exhilaration In the pauses of the conversation, hitherto carried on ale Bernard, he listened to theflow of the water, and it sounded like an invitation to cast off trouble As he listened the shooting pain in his head dihts beca like enjoy hireeable to his co a more active part in the conversation, for forlect

”This clear river,” he said, ”this beautiful valley, with its quiet woods, are a blessing to me to-day It is a pleasure to breathe the air Has Italy bluer skies?”

”The encomiums of travellers on the skies of Italy are to be received by us with soe ”They are lishland and the drier one of Italy This being borne in mind, the praises lavished on Italian skies are just But as compared with ours, they can boast of little or no superiority in beauty I have seen as gorgeous heavens in lorified the land of the Caesars”

”And how is it with the landscape?”

”There weto be corandeur of the Swiss nificence around the lake of Geneva”

”But Niagara!”

”Aye, Niagara! unequalled and alone There can be but one Niagara”

”And the Alleghany and White Mountains?”

”Fine scenery, but hills in comparison with the mountains of Switzerland”

”And now for the works of man You must have been struck by the contrast between the towns in our own country and in Europe”

”Yes, certainly, the difference is great”