Blanche was frank and gay, that of Emily tender and penfive; Valancourt's was rapturous, tender and gay alternately; Monf. St. Foix's was joyous, and that of the Count, as he looked on the furrounding party, expreffed the tempered complacency of benevolence; while the features of the Countefs, Henri, and Monf. Bonnac, difcovered fainter traces of animation. Poor Monf. Du Pont did not, by his prefence, throw a fhade of regret over the company; for, when he had discovered, that Valancourt was not unworthy of the esteem of Emily, he determined seriously to endeavour at the conqueft of his own hopeless affection, and had immediately withdrawn. from Chateau-le-Blanc-a conduct, which Emily now understood, and rewarded with her admiration and pity. The Count and his guests continued together till a late hour, yielding to the delights of focial gaiety, and to the fweets of friendship. When Annette heard of the arrival arrival of Valancourt, Ludovico had fome difficulty to prevent her going into the fupper-room, to exprefs her joy, for the declared, that he had never been fo rejoiced at any accident as this, fince she had found Ludovico himself. 1 CHAP. CHAP. XIX. "Now my task is smoothly done, I can fly, or I can run Quickly to the green earth's end, Where the bow'd welkin low doth bend, And, from thence, can foar as foon MILTON. THE marriages of the Lady Blanche and Emily St. Aubert were celebrated, on the fame day, and with the ancient baronial magnificence, at Chateau-le Blanc. The feasts were held in the great hall of the caftle, which, on this occafion, was hung with fuperb new tapestry, reprefenting the exploits of Charlemagne and his twelve peers; here were seen the Saracens, with their horrible vifors, advancing to battle; and there, were difplayed the wild folemni folemnities of incantation, and the necromantic feats, exhibited by the magician Jarl before the Emperor. The fumptuous banners of the family of Villeroi, which had long flept in dust, were once more unfurled, to wave over the gothic points of painted cafements; and mufic echoed, in many a lingering clofe, through every winding gallery and colonnade of that vast edifice. As Annette looked down from the corridor upon the hall, whofe arches and windows were illuminated with brilliant feftoons of lamps, and gazed on the splendid dreffes of the dancers, the coftly liveries of the attendants, the canopies of purple velvet and gold, and listened to the gay ftrains that floated along the vaulted roof, fhe almost fancied herself in an enchanted palace, and declared, that she had not met with any place, which charmed her fo much, fince fhe read the fairy tales; nay, that the fairies themselves, at their nightly nightly revels in this old hall, could difplay nothing finer; while old Dorothée, as she furveyed the scene, fighed, and faid, the castle looked as it was wont to do in the time of her youth. After gracing the feftivities of Chateaule-Blanc, for fome days, Valancourt and Emily took leave of their kind friends, and returned to La Vallée, where the faithful Therefa received them with unfeigned joy, and the pleasant fhades welcomed them with a thousand tender and affecting remembrances; and, while they wandered together over the fcenes, fo long inhabited by the late Monf. and Madame St. Aubert, and Emily pointed out, with pensive affection, their favourite haunts, her present happiness was heightened, by confidering, that it would have been worthy of their approbation, could they have witneffed it. Valancourt led her to the plane-tree on the terrace, where he had first ventured to |