"Believe me, dear lady, that I shall be more proud than ever to appear in your eyes to deserve some small share of her maternal praise; it was always inexpressibly dear to me for its own sake, but now I shall endeavour doubly to deserve it. You saw her, I suppose, at the White Sulphur Springs?" "We did, sir; and a most fortunate circumstance it was for me; for being an invalid, she did every thing for me that my own mother could have done. Oh! how I regretted that my mother did not come, merely to have made her acquaintance." "Your mother! is your mother alive, madam?" "I hope and trust she is--and well; she was both when we last heard from her, and that was but a few days since; but your agitation alarms me! you know no bad news of my mother?" laying her hand upon his arm. "None, madam! none. I don't know what put the foolish idea into my head, but I thought that both your own parents were dead." "You alarmed me," said she. "I conjured up every dreadful image--I imagined that you had been commissioned by some of our friends here, to break the painful intelligence to me--but you are sure she is well?" Chevillere smiled, as he answered "You forget that I am a total stranger to her, and she to me." "True! true! But tell me how you left your charming young cousin Virginia Bell, of whom I heard your mother speak so often. She told me, I think, that she was at some celebrated school in North Carolina?" "At Salem. She is well, I thank you, or was well when I came through the town: my mother intends to take her home with her on her return." "So she told me," said the lady. "She did not tell you, I suppose, for I believe she does not know, that I have promised the hand of the dear girl in marriage, though she is scarcely sixteen yet. You must know that I had in college two dear and beloved friends--the one, Mr. Lamar, you have seen; the other is Mr. Beverley Randolph, of Virginia--we were both class and room-mates. Randolph has gone on a journey through the Southern States, as he pretends; but, I believe, in truth, to take a sly peep at his affianced bride. If he likes her looks, it is a bargain; and if not, he will pass it all off for a college joke." Here he was interrupted by the lady gasping; and on looking in her face, he found she was as pale as marble, and terribly agitated. She asked her father for water, which he handed to her instantly, while Chevillere rang violently at the bell. "It will all be over in a minute," said she; "it is only a return of the suffering to which I am subject."