"How you do run on!" she said, taking the last rose out of her hair; for she was standing before the glass, undoing her braids; the sisters, having dismissed their attendant, that they might have a comfortable chat together. And then the hair came all tumbling over her shoulders, and upon her white muslin dressing-gown, and she looked most beautiful--half pleasant, half angry--as she turned round; and, trying to frown with her eyes, whilst her lips smiled, said-- "Cle., you _are_ the most intolerable girl in the world." Cle. smiled, looked down, and said nothing. "You may as well tell me, though." "No, I won't, unless you will be a true girl--own what you ought to own--say what you ought to say--that you do not _quite_ hate him. You really may say that--and then we will see about it." "Hate him! Did I say I hated him?" "Or, pretended you did. Or, that he was indifferent to you." "Well, well; I don't hate him, then." "Then come here, and sit down by me, and I will tell you that Lionel loves you, and adores you--and all that. Very easily said. But far more than that--and with great difficulty said--he wishes to make you his wife!" "Ah me!"--and again the color flashed into her face, and such an expression was visible in her eyes! Suddenly she threw her arms around her sister, and embraced her tenderly. "You dear, dear girl," she whispered--"Oh, I am so--so happy! But tell me--tell me--all, from the beginning. Lionel!--is it possible?" "You thought we were very busy talking together to-night, at Mrs. White's ball, didn't you?--You were a little jealous, were you not, you silly thing? Ah, my Ella! My proud--proud Ella! To have made such a tumble into love!" "Nonsense!--how you talk! But tell me all he said. Every single word of it!" "He said he loved you more than his life, and all that sort of thing; and that I must tell you so to-night; and, if you would give him the least atom of encouragement, I was to take no notice, and he would speak to papa and mamma immediately; but, if you hated him as much as I said I was sure you did...." "How could you say such a stupid thing?" "I thought that was what I ought to say." "How foolish you are, Cle.! Well?" "Well, in _that_ case, I was to write. Shall I write?" She did not write. And from this time the existence of Ella was changed. She loved, with all the fervor and energy of her nature; and life took at once a new color. True love is of the infinite. None can have deeply loved--when or how in other respects it may have been--but they have entered into the unseen world; have breathed a new breath of life; have tasted of the true existence. What is often called love, may do nothing of all this--but I am speaking of _true_ love. Lionel seemed at that time scarcely worthy of the passion he had inspired. Yet he had many excellent qualities. He was warm-hearted, generous to excess, had good parts, a brilliant way of talking, and was a favorite with all the world.