her skilful instruction too I made, before your birth, rapid progress in many studies, besides becoming easily acquainted, in that French household, with the language of the country. My strange history had been of course made known by the Black Horseman to his old friend, whom I shall ever regard with feelings of the greatest love and devotion for the care she bestowed on you, my little fragile blossom, thus secretly entering this troublesome world, and thus cruelly concealed by a stern Fate from any knowledge of the father who would so dearly have loved you! "But such was my unutterable dread of the curse that I dared not suffer him to share my joy and pride in my sweet new possession, and none but a mother's heart can know the unspeakable horror of darkness which was wont to fall upon me, as I looked forward to severing myself from you, as I knew I must too surely do ere you should grow to love me too well. Ah, my sweet Primrose, should your glad spirit e'er be shadowed by a passing cloud, think not it is any shadow of the curse which pursues your innocent soul and mars its peace! That has been surely averted from you, and whate'er of sadness and darkness may perchance e'er weigh upon you is but the faint re-echo of your mother's woful suffering of spirit, as for weary weeks she weighed from one bitter hour to another your helpless claims upon her against those of your loved father! You tremble, sweet one! Have I then too truly bequeathed to you such an heritage?" "Some passing clouds of nameless woe, sweet mother," answered the young girl thoughtfully, "have indeed from time to time weighed down my spirit with mysterious pain, which I might take to be some shadow of the curse upon my forefathers, did you not assure me I am indeed wholly free from so dread a foe. It is but at long intervals that such clouds have oppressed me, and now they have some long time since been wholly banished. Yet were it not so, dear mother, I would willingly bear for your sake such passing sufferings as my small share of your great trouble of heart. Would indeed it were more I could have borne for you!" "Nay, sweetheart," answered her mother fondly, "I would have given my life to save you one passing pang, and I do but dwell on this point for a brief moment, that I may thoroughly assure you of your own immunity from the curse of your unhappy fathers, and show you other good reason for any chance heaviness of spirit which may briefly o'ercloud your happiness. Now, put this thought wholly from you, and listen once more to my tale....