daughter should not induce the addresses of some wealthy pretender. In those remote ages, virtue and beauty were as valuable in the estimation of young bachelors, as birth and riches are sought after now-a-days; in truth, a young maiden had more chance of getting married: every parent, from his own experience, would repeat to his son, that a good and handsome wife was the most essential piece of furniture he could procure; every mother evinced the truth of the assertion, the same as every young woman strived to confirm it, and to become, as King Solomon expressed it, “A pearl of rich value that decorates the mansion of her lord.”
Dame Brigite accordingly continually watched over her jewel, and denied herself every thing, that she might bestow a good education on her daughter, and deck her out to the best advantage. Convinced, as all good mothers were in those days of yore, that the best,—that nothing better could be done than to teach a girl to love her work and retirement; and in conformity to those principles, she gave Meta plenty of work to do, but never allowed her to leave her home unless it was to go to hear mass every day in a church not far distant.
Frank was engaged at observing the heavens from his window, when he chanced to see the young girl, who made such an impression upon him as he had never experienced before; never had he to that day viewed a female with a sensation of love; but the innocent and beauteous Meta developed within him the most ardent passion: he no longer dwelt on any other idea, he renounced every other wish, and knew of no other occupation but of gazing on her whilst she sat spinning in her little room, when she occasionally came to her window for the benefit of a little fresh air, or when she was going out in pursuit of her usual devotion. Ah! how severely would he then lament having squandered away his fortune! How happy he would have been to offer it to Meta,—in sharing it with Meta! But now, what hopes might he be allowed to indulge? Could he presume to propose her partaking of his distress?—No. He therefore must be satisfied with admiring and adoring her silently.
In the mean time Frank was not the only observer of what passed amongst his neighbours; dame Brigite likewise would make her observations, and rightly understood from what motives her young neighbour was stationary at his window for whole days together; she had heard of him,—she had been informed that he had spent the princely fortune that his father had left him; and the young man’s character, of course, was enough to cause so prudent a mother as Brigite was, to tremble from head to foot: he was not the son-in-law duly qualified to set her spinning-wheel to rest; he consequently was excluded from co-operating in her schemes. In the mean time, as she was well read in the human heart, and as she knew that forbidden fruit is, and ever will be, thought the most palatable to a youthful girl, she held her tongue, and took particular care to keep her discovery and reflections to herself, but determined to counteract whatever her gay neighbour might put in practice to be noticed by Meta.
In consequence of Brigite’s plans, when Frank one morning approached his window, he had the mortification to see that of his opposite neighbours veiled with a thick curtain of white cloth, through which the hundred eyes of Argus would have tried in vain to pierce. Thinking that the curtain would be drawn open a little later, he sat patiently for some time; during the whole blessed day he remained at his post, but the fatal curtain was not removed; on the day following he found it still as immovable as if it were a stone wall. However, he had the consolation of seeing Meta as she was going to church, but her mother followed her close, and besides, her sweet face was covered over with a veil as thick nearly as the curtain; he saw the veiled beauty and her barbarous mother enter the temple, come out of it, and hasten back home, the sooner to get secreted behind their curtain.
(To be continued.)
