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The Mysteries of Udolpho

Page 548

Sweet is the breath of vernal shower,

The bees' collected treasures sweet,

Sweet music's melting fall, but sweeter yet

The still, small voice of gratitude.

GRAY

On the following day, the arrival of her friend revived the drooping

Emily, and La Vallee became once more the scene of social kindness and

of elegant hospitality. Illness and the terror she had suffered had

stolen from Blanche much of her sprightliness, but all her affectionate

simplicity remained, and, though she appeared less blooming, she was not

less engaging than before. The unfortunate adventure on the Pyrenees had

made the Count very anxious to reach home, and, after little more than a

week's stay at La Vallee, Emily prepared to set out with her friends

for Languedoc, assigning the care of her house, during her absence,

to Theresa.

On the evening, preceding her departure, this old servant

brought again the ring of Valancourt, and, with tears, entreated her

mistress to receive it, for that she had neither seen, or heard of M.

Valancourt, since the night when he delivered it to her. As she said

this, her countenance expressed more alarm, than she dared to utter;

but Emily, checking her own propensity to fear, considered, that he had

probably returned to the residence of his brother, and, again refusing

to accept the ring, bade Theresa preserve it, till she saw him, which,

with extreme reluctance, she promised to do.

On the following day, Count De Villefort, with Emily and the Lady

Blanche, left La Vallee, and, on the ensuing evening, arrived at the

Chateau-le-Blanc, where the Countess, Henri, and M. Du Pont, whom

Emily was surprised to find there, received them with much joy and

congratulation.

She was concerned to observe, that the Count still

encouraged the hopes of his friend, whose countenance declared, that

his affection had suffered no abatement from absence; and was much

distressed, when, on the second evening after her arrival, the Count,

having withdrawn her from the Lady Blanche, with whom she was walking,

renewed the subject of M. Du Pont's hopes. The mildness, with which

she listened to his intercessions at first, deceiving him, as to her

sentiments, he began to believe, that, her affection for Valancourt

being overcome, she was, at length, disposed to think favourably of

M. Du Pont; and, when she afterwards convinced him of his mistake, he

ventured, in the earnestness of his wish to promote what he considered

to be the happiness of two persons, whom he so much esteemed, gently

to remonstrate with her, on thus suffering an ill-placed affection to

poison the happiness of her most valuable years.

Observing her silence and the deep dejection of her countenance, he

concluded with saying, 'I will not say more now, but I will still

believe, my dear Mademoiselle St. Aubert, that you will not always

reject a person, so truly estimable as my friend Du Pont.'

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