arched top, constituted the furniture of the apart.

ment.

Cora busied herself in arranging things as well as she could, Mr. Gridley called her "quite a handy young woman, considering she had n't been brought up to nothing;" and while this employment lasted, she manag. ed to maintain a tolerable degree of cheerfulness; but when all was done, and she paused to look around her, such a tide of feelings rushed upon her, that her pride at length gave way, and sitting down on the old trunk, she buried her face in her lap, and burst into a passion of tears.

Everard tried to comfort her as well as he could, but his own heart was overcharged; and after a few ineffectual efforts, he threw himself on the floor at her side, and wept almost as heartily as she did. As soon as his feelings were relieved by this overflowing of nature, he felt heartily ashamed of himself, and lifting Cora to the window, insisted that she should look out upon the glorious prospect which it commanded. She struggled to regain her low seat, that she might indulge to the uttermost this paroxysm of remorse and misgiv. ing; but he pursued his advantage, and held her before the window till the fresh breeze had changed the current of her sad thoughts, and thrown her rich curls into a most becoming confusion; and then, reaching the eight inch mirror, held it suddenly before her still streaming eyes. And now, like true boy and girl, they were both seized with incontrollable laughter, and sat down and enjoyed it to the uttermost.

"How foolish we look," said Cora at length. Oh, Everard! if mamma-" but at that word her pretty

eyes began to fill again, and Everard declared she should not say another word.

"Let us take a walk," said he, one of your own long rambling walks. You know we have yet to find a spot lovely enough for you to live in." And the volatile girl was all gaiety in a moment.

They were on their return after a very long ramble, when they came to a dell deep enough to make one think of listening to the talkers in Captain Symmes' world; and this Cora declared to be the very home of her dreams. This and none other should be her "forest sanctuary;”—Qu. What was she flying from?— here should the cottage stand, under whose lowly roof was to be realized, all of bliss that poet ever painted.

Weaving their gorgeous tracery over head,

With the light melting through their high arcades,
As through a pillar'd cloister's."

Oh it was too delicious! and all the good thoughts took flight again.

CHAPTER XLI.

Gon. Here is every thing advantageous to life.

Ant. True, save means to live.

Tempest.

THAT evening after tea, Everard began his negotiations with Mr. Gridley, for the purchase of the muchadmired glen.

“Glen!” said honest Bildad, who sat as usual, pipe in mouth, by the front window.

Everard explained.

66

Why, Lord bless ye! yes, I own two hundred and seventy-odd acres jist round there; and that 'ere gulf is part on 't. Ahasuerus began to make a clearin' there, but it's so plaguily lumber'd up with stuns, and so kind o' slantin' besides, that we thought it would never pay for ploughin'. So Hazzy has gone to work up north here, and gets along like smoke."

"Would you be willing to sell a small place there?" inquired Everard, who felt inexpressibly sheepish when he set about buying this "stunny" spot.

Mr. Gridley stared at him in unfeigned astonish.

ment.

After a moment's pause, he answered, after the manner of his nation, by asking,

any body that wants to buy?'

"I have some thoughts of settling here myself," said his guest.

Another stare, and the landlord fell to smoking with all his might, looking withal, full of meditation.

At length-" You settle here!" he said; "what for, in all nature ?"

"I've taken a fancy to the place," said Everard ; "and if you choose to sell, I may perhaps be a purchaser." "Well!" said the landlord, laying his pipe on the window-sill," if this aint the queerest But I'll tell ye what, Mr.

-I never can think o' your name; if

you really want the place, why, I'll-" but here he stopt again. He fixed his eyes on Everard, as if he would look through his mortal coil.

"There's one thing," proceeded he again, "may I jist be so sa'acy as to ask you-I don't know as you'd think it a very civil question; but I don't know as we can get on without it. Are you sure," speaking very deliberately" are you sure that you 're married to this young gal?"

"Married!" said Everard, his fine eyes flashing lightning, while poor Cora, completely humbled, felt ready to sink through the floor, "Married!" he repeated, in high indignation, which an instant's pause served to calm. "I can assure you-I can assure you-"

And he was flying after Cora, who had slipped out of the room, but the good man called him back.

"No 'casion, no 'casion? you say you sartinly are, and that's enough; but ra❜ly you and your wife both look so young, that we've been plaguily puzzled what to make on 't."

Everard, deeply mortified, reverted as speedily as possible to his desired purchase; and after a few observations as to the unprofitableness of the scheme, Mr. Gridley concluded, with an air of kindness, which soothed the feelings of his young auditor, "You know your own business best, I dare say; and if so be you are determined upon it, you may have it, and make use of it as long as you like; and I 'spose you wont think o' puttin' up much of a house upon sich a place as that, when you are tired on 't, we 'll settle the matter one way or 'tother."

Everard readily agreed to this proposition, for he knew himself the avowed heir of the rich bachelor uncle whose name he bore, and he was little concerned about the pecuniary part of his affairs.

And there was a house to be built on a green hill-side in the deep woods; and this grande opus fully absorbed our friends until it was completed. In taking possession of it and in arranging the simple requisites which formed its furniture, Cora found herself happier than she had been since she left home. It must be confessed that every day brought its inconveniences; one can't at first snuff the candle well with the tongs. Here were neither papa's side-boards nor mamma's dressing tables; but there was the charm of housekeeping, and every young wife knows what a charm that is, for a year or two at least; and then pride whispered, that whenever papa did find them out, he would acknowledge how very well they had managed to be happy in their own way.

After all, it must be confessed, that the fairy-footed Cora nourished in some unexplored nook of her warm