The bridal party were absent six weeks, and finally reached home about the middle of April--a most enchanting season in that climate, corresponding in its advanced state of vegetation with our June, but much more beautiful in the luxuriance and variety of its trees, shrubs, vines, fruits and flowers, than any season in our latitude. The Red Hill mansion was very lovely in its grove of magnolias. The internal arrangement of the house reflected great credit upon Phædra; and madam condescended to express much satisfaction with her new home and her good housekeeper. As upon all former occasions, Valentine had been in too much requisition, when they passed through M----, on their way home, to stop and see Fannie; but the next morning Mr. Waring dispatched him to the city to attend to the careful packing and sending out some baggage that had been left, of necessity, the evening before, at the hotel. And Valentine availed of that opportunity to visit his small family. He found Fannie as pretty and as glad to see him as always, and his little darling Coralie, now seven months old, more beautiful and attractive than ever; but he could not linger with them; his duties to his master obliged him, in less than an hour, to tear himself away again and hasten with madam's trunks and boxes to Red Hill. The necessity of leaving his treasures so soon again after so long an absence depressed Valentine so much that Fannie hastened to console and cheer him. He was not, after all, more unfortunate in that respect, she said, than sailors and soldiers, nor was she more to be pitied than their wives. And she sent him off, comforted with the promise that she would get leave from Leroux and come out the next morning with her baby to spend the day with Phædra at Red Hill. Fannie kept her word, and, during her visit the next day won her way so well into the good graces of madam that that lady expressed a kind interest in her and her little child, made them some pretty presents, and promised to facilitate as much as possible the frequent visits of Valentine to his wife and child. And the lady remembered and performed her promise so well that unusual indulgence was extended to Valentine, who was by her intercession enabled to pass every night with his family. Mr. Waring, in his attachment to his bride, seemed for the time quite won from the extravagance and dissipation of his late bachelor life. He remained at home and addressed himself with commendable zeal to the management of his plantation, to the improvement of his land, his stock, his machinery, and agricultural system in general, and also, after his own blundering fashion, to the amelioration, comfort and welfare of his people.