of those; but when asked to fix the day, a number of difficulties started up suddenly before him, the most pressing of which was to find a comfortable and safe home for his wife. He therefore replied: "I shall consult our reverend friend, Father Cavendish, and let you know his opinions." The Earl took the earliest opportunity of seeing the old priest, and explaining to him his wishes, position, and plans for the future. His wish was to marry Ellen Spenser as soon as possible; but his position was that of an outlaw, without a home; his plans for the future had reference to his troops in Kerry, whom he intended to join as soon after marriage as he could tear himself from the arms of his bride. We therefore see that his case was a most difficult one; but what will not a man, desperately in love, attempt? The priest removed the first two difficulties by promising to perform the ceremony, and proposing that the bride should remain where she was-indeed he could not think of parting with her; the Earl, therefore, resolved to think no more of the third objection, the necessity of so soon joining his followers, but, like a wise man, and an Irishman, to let the future provide for itself. Carpe diem" was his motto ;-"Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry 66 heart let thy garments be always white, and live joyfully with the wife that thou lovest,”—his authority. When he mentioned the time—a month from that day-Ellen said it was "soon," but in the end made no objection. We shall now leave them to prepare for the wedding, a work in which women allow no one to interfere but themselves. Men, during this preparatory period, have no more right to give an opinion, than has a malefactor to be consulted about the erection of the gallows, or the knotting of the rope with which he is to be hanged. When the day comes he will find all prepared, from the parson and prayer-book to his own night cap. "For shame, to close your chapter with such a comparison." Well, so it is, dear reader, but I could not help it, for I have a wayward, vagabond imagination, which wanders where it pleases, sometimes into back lanes and "Liberties;" as picture-mongers do into old houses and dirty brokers' shops; but, in order to remove the unpleasant associations I may have called up, I shall quote for you the following lines, written by Edmund Spenser, the father of our heroine, to commemorate his nuptials with Ellen's mother. It is the morning of the day on which they are to be married that he thus expresses his feelings :— "Wake now, my love, awake; for it is time; The rosy morne long since left Tithon's bed, All ready to her silver coche to clyme, And Phoebus gins to shew his glorious hed. Hark! how the cheerful birds do chaunt theyr laies, The merry larke her mattins sings aloft; The thrush replyes, the mavis descant playes; Ah! my deere love, why doe ye sleepe thus long, For they of ioy and pleasure to you sing, That all the woods them answer, and theyr eccho ring." DRYDEN. me leave to acquaint the world that I am jealous on ct." IDEM. nd her lover were in the abbey early the rning. She looked very pale. sked you to meet me here," said Ellen, "to ou this letter: it was handed to me last y the 'innocent,' Mac Rory, who said a gorsoon gave it to him." me see it," said the Earl, taking the letter ening it, but as he read, his face became and before he had finished it, the veins of head stood out like whipcord; but he refor some time silent. The letter, which was ed to "Miss Cavendish," ran as follows: DAM, "I throw myself on your benevolence and ature, to excuse the liberty I take, and to 1 charity of the revelation I am compelled, in compassion to myself, as well as in justice to you, to make. My hand trembles as I raise the veil from my heart, to expose its weakness and sin, even to the eyes of one of my own sex ; but I believe I may rely on the nobility of your nature, not to mock, if you cannot pity. 66 But to tear the veil from my own heart, is also to expose the character of the man who betrayed me, and left my soul a ruin; and who would now, by winding and tortuous ways, and glosing speech, tempt and deceive you, as the serpent did Eve. 66 When but a child, I was thrown into the society of the Earl of Desmond-indeed we grew up children together:-I thought him all honour and nobility, and, in my unsuspicious innocence and ignorance of guile, revealed to him every thought of my soul. Need I add, that he won my virgin affections, and had no difficulty in discovering that his image was the idol enshrined in the sanctuary of my soul. O God! yes, I placed him there instead of my Maker. Lady, can your pure mind imagine the extent to which unruly love may carry one of our sex? before your pure eyes. Here I must drop the veil He betrayed me, deserted me, and drove me to madness; to commit an act which has not only blasted my every prospect of happiness on earth, but all my hopes of heaven |