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"Pardon me, Miss Henley," he cried, and the apology was unconsciously paid to the commanding purity and dignity of her air, "if I overstep the rules of decorum, and hasten to declare that which I know years of trial would hardly justify my saying; but your beauty, your grace, your----your----where shall I find words to express it?--your loveliness, yes, that means every thing--your loveliness has not been seen with impunity."This might have done very well for a sudden and unprepared declaration; but being a little indefinite, it failed to extract a reply, his listener giving a respectful, and, at times, a rather embarrassing attention to what he was to add.After a short pause, the youth, who found words as he proceeded, and with whom, as with all others, the first speech was the most difficult, continued--"I have known you but a short time, Miss Henley; but to see you once is to see you always.You smile, Miss Henley, but give me leave to hope that time and assiduity will enable me to bring you to such a state of feeling, that in some degree, you may know how to appreciate my sensations.""If I smile, Mr.Delafield," said Charlotte in a low but distinct voice, "it is not at you, but at myself.I, who have been for seventeen years constantly with Charlotte Henley, find each day something new in her, not to admire, but to reprehend." She paused a moment, and then added, smiling most sweetly as she spoke, "I will not affect to misunderstand you, Mr.Delafield; your language is not very intelligible, but it is such that I am sure you would not use to me if you were not serious, and did not feel, or rather think you feel what you utter.""Think I feel?" he echoed."Don't I know it? Can I be mistaken in my own sentiments? I may be misled in yours--may have flattered myself with being able to accomplish that at some distant day, which your obduracy may deny me, but in my own feelings I cannot be mistaken.""Not where they are so very new; nay, do not start so eagerly--where they MUST be so very new.Surely your fancy only leads you to say so much, and to-morrow, or next day, your fancy, unless encouraged by you to dwell on my unworthy self, will lead you elsewhere.""Now, Miss Henley, what I most admire in your character is its lovely ingenuousness, its simplicity, its HEART; and I will own I did not expect such an answer to a question put, like mine, in sincerity and truth.""If I have failed to answer any question you have put to me, Mr.Delafield, it is because I am unconscious than any was asked; and if I have displayed disengenuousness, want of simplicity, or want of feeling, it has been unintentional, I do assure you; and only proves that I can be guilty of errors, without their being detected by one who has known me so long and so intimately.""My impetuosity has deceived me and distressed you," said Delafield-- "I would have said that I love you ardently, passionately, and constantly, and shall for ever love you.I should have asked your permission to say all this to your parents, to entreat them to permit me to see you often, toaddress you; and, if it were not impossible, to hope that in time they would consent to intrust me with their greatest treasure, and that you would not oppose their decree.""This is certainly asking many questions in a breath," said Charlotte smiling, but without either irony or triumph; "and were it not for that word, breath, I should experience some uneasiness at what you say; I find great satisfaction, Mr.Delafield, in reflecting that our acquaintance is not a week old.""A week is time enough to learn to adore such a being as you are, Miss Henley, though an age would not suffice to do justice to your merits.Say, have I your permission to speak to your father? I do not ask you yet to return my affection--nay, I question if you can ever love as I do.""Perhaps not," said Charlotte; "I can love enough to feel a great and deep interest in those who are dear to me, but I never yet have experienced such emotions, as you describe--I believe, in this particular, you have formed a just opinion of me, Mr.Delafield; I suspect such passions are not in the compass of my feelings.""They are, they must be, Miss Henley: allow me to see you often, to speak to your father, and at least to hope--may I not hope that in time you will learn to think me a man to be trusted with your happiness as your husband?"The quiet which had governed the manner of Charlotte during this dialogue, was sensibly affected by this appeal, and for a short time she appeared too much embarrassed to reply.During this interval, Delafield gazed on her, in delight; for with the sanguine feelings of youth, he interpreted every symptom of emotion in his own favour.Finding, however, that she was distressed for a reply, he renewed his suit--"Though I have known you but a few days, I feel as if I had known you for years.There are, I believe, Miss Henley, spirits in the world who commune with each other imperceptibly, who seem formed for each other, and who know and love each other as by instinct.""I have no pretensions to belong to that class," said Charlotte; "I must know well to love a little, but I trust I feel kind sentiments to the whole human race.""Ah, you do not know yourself.You have lived all your life in the neighbourhood of that Mr.Morton who just went out, and you feel pity for his illness.He does indeed look very ill--but you have yet to learn what it is to love.I ask the high favour of being permitted to attempt the office of--of--of--"