Neither Eveline nor Eunice have yet wedded. Henry Pascal has been home from his long European tour about six months, and, since his return, has been constant in his attentions to Eveline, with whom he corresponded, regularly, during the whole period of his absence. Eveline is deeply attached to him, and, although no formal offer of marriage has taken place, considers herself, as well as is considered by others, his affianced bride. Twice has the hand of Eunice been sought--once, all approved the offer but herself; and once, though her own heart approved, the objections of her parent and friends were so strong she yielded passively to their opposition. Passively, so far as act was concerned, but her heart remained the same, and turned faithfully toward the sun of its love. The young man who had thus won the pure regard of Eunice, had recently been elevated from the position of clerk to that of limited partner, in a respectable mercantile house, and had, since this elevation, been introduced into a higher social grade than the one he had been used to. Here he met Eunice Townsend. The first time his eyes rested upon her, and before he had heard her name, or knew her connections, her image impressed itself upon his heart, and remained there ever after. He could not have effaced it, even if he had made the effort. This young man’s name was Rufus Albertson. His mother, a poor widow, had obtained for him, when he was quite a lad, a situation in a store, and dying shortly afterward, he was left without any relative. The owner of the store finding him active, intelligent, and honest, took him into his house; and raised and educated him. By his industry and devotion to business, from his fifteenth to his twenty-first year, the young man fully repaid the kindness he had received. When Albertson learned to what family the sweet young creature, toward whom his heart had instantly warmed, belonged, he felt, for a time, unhappy. Townsend was known to be proud and aristocratic in his feelings, and would not, he felt satisfied, countenance, for an instant, any advances he might make toward his daughter. But, she filled his thoughts by day, and was even present with him in his dreams by night. At his first meeting with Eunice, he looked upon her and worshipped in the distance. A few weeks afterward, he met her again, and sought an introduction. The genuine simplicity of her manners charmed him more than the beauty of her face; and when he entered into conversation with her, spontaneously their thoughts flowed along in the same channel; and the sentiments they uttered found in each bosom a reciprocal response. After their third meeting, Albertson noticed that the eyes of Eunice were frequently turned toward him, while he moved in distant parts of the room, and drooped slowly beneath his gaze, when he looked at her steadily. All this was food for his passion.