In the meantime Albert appeared perfectly happy, that he had at length found a fair one to please him, and shortly after he returned home with his bride, with sanguine expectations before him, anticipating much future happiness. CHAPTER XXXIII. "On punit plus severement un ennemi par le mepris et par l'oubli, que par les chatimens les plus rigorieux: c'est, pour ainsi dire, le reduire au néant." [De Vernage: On punit plus sévèrement un ennemi par le mépris et par l'oubli, que par les châtiments les plus rigoureux. C'est pour ainsi dire le réduire au néant....] The disagreeable facts so long in detail, had now taken a new turn for the better, and Theodore and Alida were again in possession of more than former felicity, after their long separation. Alida soon began to recover in some degree her native cheerfulness, soothing the bosom of her lover with her grief-dispersing smile. The unpleasant fears that had such a length of time harrassed her mind, were now happily terminated by the return of Theodore and the clearing up of all doubts and suspicions concerning him, to the utter confusion of Bonville. All her corroding anxieties were now removed, and recent events had made her happy in comparison to what she was a few weeks before, and her present consolation fully compensated for all the preceding months of unhappiness. [_A&M_ (Alonzo speaking): .... come in all thy native loveliness, and cheer the bosom of wretchedness by thy grief dispersing smile!] Theodore was again happy in the society of Alida, the pensive sweetness of her manner, her innate goodness, and amiability, which had attracted and secured the early affections of his heart, and made impressions that could never be obliterated. He gave a minute account of all that had happened, from the time they had parted until they had met again. [_A&M_: .... that pensive sweetness, those unrivalled virtues and matchless worth, which he found in Melissa, and which attracted, fixed, and secured the youngest affections of his soul?... ... .... your ingenuous conduct has left impressions in my bosom which can never be obliterated.... ... Alonzo then gave Melissa a minute account of all that happened to him from the time of their parting ... until he met with her the day before.] He had visited the merchants in England with whom his father had been concerned in business, and he found as he expected, that he had been overreached by swindlers and sharpers. The pretended failure of the merchants with whom he was in company, was all a sham, as, also, the reported loss of the ships in their employ. The merchants had fled to England; he had them arrested, and they had given up their effects to much more than the amount of their debts. He therefore procured a reversion of his father's losses, with costs, damages and interests, when legally stated. [_A&M_ (Benjamin Franklin speaking to Alonzo):