like runaway horses, were chiefly those been at Alexandrine's feet 379, according who had been kept so strictly in the back- to a joke of Montalembert's — but without ground in their girlhood that they had gaining her heart; and once, when her gained no experience while yet under guid- mother had tried to force her into a marance. Still there was something in the riage repugnant to her feelings, she had esconstant round of pleasure-something caped it by an appeal to the Emperor Nichtoo in Naples itself, that with the more olas, who had then said to her mother, as thoughtful left a sense of unsatisfactoriness. he held Alexandrine's hand, Promise me, Eugénie, who had scarcely left childhood Madame, that you will never bestow this behind, was the merriest of all, but she used child in marriage but according to her inafterwards to say, that she did not like to clination.' recollect those days, and Albert, who was about one-and-twenty, bright, gentle, and scrupulously religious, several times told Pauline in the course of the winter, that it was not good for him to be always in a place where serious life was impossible, and that some fine day he should go and se retremper' in solitude. It was too easy at Naples, he said, to forget everything, and in 1831 he joined a like-minded, elder friend, M. Rio, in a tour in Tuscany, in the course of which he became acquainted with the Comte de Montalembert, and formed a close friendship, which continued to be the comfort of the rest of the family when Albert had been taken from them.

Alexandrine was already on terms of friendship with Pauline, but Albert had never seen her till this memorable call, on the 17th of January, 1832, when her beauty and sweetness captivated him on the spot, and he went home to his friends in such a state of admiration that they laughed at him. She was not at that time much struck with him. Her fond recollections, however, are dated from that time; and in the long hours which five years later-she used to spend in dreaming over her desk, and recording her cherished memories, with minuteness that even Pauline sometimes thought excessive, she went back to the first day when Albert inspired her with respect.

After this journey, in the January of She had gone, on the 5th of February, 1832, the friends came to Rome, and there it with a Protestant friend to hear the nuns was that the romance of Albert's life began. singing at the conventual church of Trinità He went to call upon a lady whom his pa- del Monte. Albert was there on his knees rents had known at Petersburg, the Coun- as a devout worshipper; and as they came tess von Alopeus. She was a German by out of church together, she told him that birth, and her husband, a Swede, had been had she been alone, she would gladly have in the Russian diplomatic service, where the knelt too. Why did you not?' said he. La Ferronnays family had become acquaint- Why this respect of persons? This bolded with her. Her husband was recently ness in a man of twenty pleased me. Never dead, and she was travelling with her only had any man spoken to me so wisely' daughter, her two sons being in the Russian says the hitherto spoilt, flattered beauty, service. The daughter was born at Peters- who had no doubt thought herself saying burg in 1808, and had received the name something extremely gracious and patronof Alexandrine, in compliment to the Em-izing. peror Alexander, her godfather. His par ticipation in the ceremony had caused her to be baptized by immersion according to the Greek ritual, although her parents were both Lutherans, and brought her up in their doctrine. Madame d'Alopeus was a celebrated beauty with perfectly regular features, and Alexandrine, though not judged by connoisseurs to be equal to her in symmetry of feature, was exceedingly lovely, and had a greater charm of expression. They were excessively admired, and it used to be said that no one could say whether the daughter were loved for the sake of the mother or the mother for the sake of the daughter. The Countess was a gay woman, delighting in all this admiration, and had brought up her daughter to the constant round of Russian dissipation. Numerous admirers had

A few days after, she continues, while walking in the gardens of the Villa Pamfili, 'We talked, I think, for an hour of religion, immortality, and death, which we said would be sweet in those fair gardens. This conversation, so unlike those that had wearied my ear in the world- this conversation sank into the depths of my heart.' It was then that his depth and piety made Alexandrine attach herself to Albert; and on his side, so much was her faith upon his mind, that in very early morning, in a pilgrim's frock and barefooted, he made the pilgrimage of the Seven Basilica, to pray for her conversion, and even to offer his own life as a sacrifice if at such a price it might be vouchsafed.

We pass rapidly over this portion of the journals; if there was nothing beyond, we should have been inclined to call it senti

munion. Albert was to have been of the party to France, but at Cività Vecchia he told his mother that he was feeling unwell, and would follow her by the packet two days later, when he had been bled. The next morning, however, he was in a violent fever, and poor M. de la Ferronpays first became aware of his dangerous state while from the window of the room the steamer was still visible carrying away the mother and sisters, who had gone on board the previous night.

ment tinged with religion. The most notable point in it is how Alexandrine, after all her campaigns in the most brilliant society in the world, and after having supped full of adulation, surrendered her whole heart to the mastery of the younger man, of no high pretension to wealth or rank, who, while absolutely fascinated by her charms, always kept his God in the first place, and showed that he did so. In April, Mme. and Mile. d'Alopeus went to reside near Naples, and lived in close intercourse with the rest of the La Ferronnay's family, and there we During the height of Albert's danger, Alexfind the coupling of the most exalted self-andrine arrived at Rome with her mother, restrained piety with all the little extrava- and had the comfort of almost daily seeing gances of a lover. For instance, - Alexan- the little girls in the convent, and hearing drine went for the first time since her fath- their report of their brother. It seems to er's death to the opera, and put on a white have been what passed between him and dress, in which she enjoyed showing herself his father during his illness, and the exto Albert and Pauline. She returned home treme anxiety of Alexandrine on the other to Vomero at one o'clock at night, little hand, that made their parents at last conguessing that Albert followed her carriage sent to their engagement; and though Madall the way up the steep road, pushing ame d'Alopeus on going to Germany had a the wheels behind at the worst places, short relapse into her original ambitious merely that he might have one glimpse of views for her daughter, constancy at last the flutter of her dress unseen by her when she left the carriage in the court- were married at Naples on the 17th of April, prevailed, and Albert and Alexandrine yard. 1834, first in the chapel of the Palazzo Acton, and afterwards by the Protestant Minister, M Valette.

The mutual love was confessed, but there were many difficulties in the way. Mme. d'Alopeus had engaged herself to a Russian prince, named Paul Lapoukhyn, and thus could not free herself from the respects due to the Czar. Indeed Alexandrine, being a maid of honour to the Empress, needed his consent to her marriage, and his dislike to French alliances was well known. Besides, the lady had expected a far more brilliant worldly lot for her beautiful daughter than a marriage with a younger son of a family in the situation of the La Ferronays, and though she seems to have been delusively affectionate and caressing when Albert was with her, no sooner was he absent

than she and her niece tried to persuade

Alexandrine out of her attachment.

A time of perfect happiness followed. A great villa had been taken at Castellamare, Albert and Alexandrine lived on the ground floor, Charles, his wife and child, above them, and the main body of the family in the upper story. Each set of apartments had a bal cony, communicating with the rest by external staircases. Pauline was on the eve of marriage with Mr. Craven, an English diplomate, and the life during that summer seems to have been like paradise to the whole party. This is Pauline's description:

pied the ground floor, whose windows opened

'I said that Albert and Alexandrine occu

M. de la Ferronnays too, though, like all the night I specially recollect, their sitting-room at the top of some steps into the garden. On the family, charmed with Alexandrine, and was full of lights, flowers, and music, Eugénie greatly flattered by the much-courted lady's was singing, and we were seated on the steps preference for Albert, had many doubts as outside, listening to her incomparable voice, to the prudence of a marriage between his while talking, inhaling the sweet perfume of son and one bred up in the excess of Rus- roses and orange blossoms, and gazing out on an sian luxury, and for many months the affair unrivalled view, lighted by the moon and stars, remained in doubt. At last, in May, 1833, and illuminated likewise by the fires that, during it became expedient for Mme. de la Ferron- that year, were bursting from Vesuvius, and of nays to go on business to France, taking of the volcano, was descending towards the which a large stream, flowing from the summit with her the elder ones of the family, and plain in the direction of Ottagano. Ah! we leaving M. de la Ferronnays at Rome, where were all perfectly happy at that moment. The the two youngest girls, Olga and Albertine, bliss of Albert and Alexandrine seemed to us were to be placed at the convent of Trinità the presage and guarantee of our own, -ours del Monte to prepare for Olga's first com- completed theirs. The devoted affection of

Eugénie, more expansive than ever, made her | white pages, their facility of different lanas mirthful as a bird, as bright as a sunbeam; guages and the different nationalities of and Fernand joined with her in enlivening days their friends make us understand something the importance of which might have made them of what this charm may have been. Alexserious. Yet even then, in the midst of all this andrine, half German, half Swede, a Russian cheerfulness, Eugénie often said to me, "O, my dear, what a pretty thing is life-what then subject, and yet her French as perfect as if will heaven be! Then death must be better it had been natural to her, must have been a worth than all this!" The end of the evenings perfect specimen of each country's best. Her was generally spent with Charles and Emma, manner was very lively, and her beauty whose tender-hearted sympathy left nothing to seems to have been simply and frankly desire. They had the most spacious of our bal- the pride of all the family - and there conies, and there we all assembled, and remain are many notices of her dress on difed together often till late into the night-those ferent occasions but so fond and affectionItalian nights that one cannot weary of enjoying, and which in summer are lovelier than day. Never had our parents' affection been more completely gratified; never, perhaps, had they more restfully enjoyed the happiness of having us all about them. We were, alas, at our culmination; but it must be confessed that this summit was gilded, and if ever it might be said of happiness that it was too great, too perfect to last, it was so with ours.

ate as to take away the sense of frivolity. The length of time she took in dressing partly owing to her short sight - was always a matter of innocent raillery, and it is worth recollecting for the sake of the sequel.

Pisa was recommended to Albert for the winter, and he took up his abode there with The cloud that was so soon to darken it was showed that it had been doing her injustice his wife in apartments, where Alexandrine already casting its shadow. For one day, six to fear her expensive tastes, for she was a weeks previously, we had been uneasy about Albert; but anxiety, the gnawing worm of bliss, capital economist, with all her elegance. still respected ours, and, though alarmed for Albert was better, and the only shade of the moment, we had quickly recovered the se- trouble was at this time the manner in curity of inexperience. It was not till much which the difference in faith could not fail later, when Alexandrine was near the end of to be felt between two people thus intimateher ordeal, that going back from anguish to an- ly connected. Alexandrine had previously guish, even to the first alarm that disturbed shown herself much inclined to the Roman her serenity, she arrived at the day when for Catholic Church, but since her marriage the first time she saw Albert hastily put his her mother (now Princess Lapoukhyn) had handkerchief to his lips, and take it away spot-written to her that to hear of her changing ted with blood. And that day? It was the tenth after their marriage.'- Vol. i. pp. 198-200.

Other symptoms caused it to be thought that Castellmare did not agree with Albert, and he was ordered to Sorrento, where the brothers and sisters frequently visited them. There was as yet no blight upon their joy, and they continued to enjoy their exqui. site life. Perhaps few persons were ever more capable of full enjoyment than this family. They had all the happiness inspired by fervent piety; they were full of the delights of the easy mirthful intercourse of a large and united family in the first bloom of youth; they were cultivated and accomplished so as to appreciate the exquisite scenes of nature and art, as well as the historical associations of Italy; and there is also about the whole of their writings and speeches an indescribable air of the very highest breeding, as it with all their simplicity and humility they were unconsciously the very creme de la creme of society. In one of his letters, Albert tells his sisters not to lose their cosmopolitan grace and become exclusively French, English, Italian, or anything else; and even in these black and

her faith would nail her (her mother) up in her coffin. This had much startled Alexandrine, and besides, though when among Protestants she was inclined to defend Catholicity, the same impulse led her, when alone among Catholics, to stand up for the doctrines she had been taught. On the whole, however, her religious teaching and impressions seem to have been exceedingly vague, and chiefly to have consisted in pious sentiments affecting a mind of great natural sweetness and purity, and thus she was exactly in the state to be completely mastered by the strength of positive and systematic belief, thoroughly acted on by those with whom her lot was cast.

In October, they received a long visit form Montalembert, who had begun apparently by slightly distrusting and regretting Albert's passion for the beautiful Swede, but on his arrival, yielded to her charm and became her fast friend for life. Here is a description of their way of spending their time, taken from a letter to Eugénie :

'Besides my reading of Dante, Montalembert reads us legends. He is now reading us some

delicious ones of S. Francis d'Assisi, a very We cannot help lingering on this innokind Saint, who calls all the creatures his broth cent brightness, so well crowning the young ers and sisters. He says, "frate lupo," and life of one to whom his mother could write talks long to this same wolf, and calls the turtle on his birthday, the 21st of January, 1835: doves my sisters, &c. Montal. is likewise writ It is twenty three years to-day since I eming the life of St. Elizabeth, a German and a braced you for the first time. I seem to queen, for whom he has made many journeys into Germany. He is to read it to us when it have gone back to that time, for since that is finished. It will be delightful, but I beg you day, not one has passed but my heart has to tell no one of it but Pauline. I am sure he been filled with you. You have always had rather it was not talked of beforehand. So been so excellent, that not the slightest pray let it remain between us two. He is cloud has darkened my affection for you, so fond of this Saint Elizabeth, he collects the not the shadow of a slight irritation has most minute details about her. He told us a come between us.' Probably, however, story of a knight who wore the colours of a saint there was much truth in the self-dissection who had appeared to him in a vision: it was that we have from Albert's own hand, in pretty. The story did not end there, but it is his journal, which was in the form of a lettoo long to be told in a letter. Tell me what you think of this life we are leading. For my ter, addressed, his sister believes, to the part, I love it! Besides, we have subscribed to Abbé Martin de Nodier. It is worth readthe library at Leghorn, and our tables are cov-ing, because it so curiously shows the differered with Reviews, newspapers (these for Mon-ence between the self-reliant character fostal.), with W. Scott's novels for Albert, and tered by our public school education and other books of all sorts for him and for me. the tender diffidence engendered by the Albert is beginning to learn German, but he careful training and watching of foreign does not throw himself into it with your lauddiscipline. able desperation. I am sure you will soon know it.'- P. 227.

It is amusing to find Montalembert advising Alexandrine to burn Father Clement a clever English book, well known thirty years ago, which had been lent her by some Protestant friends. She calls it a soidisant antidote to Catholicism, which had had contrary effect from what it was intended to produce.' She is quite right, the Protestants of the book are Presbyterians, and Father Clement is by far the most beautiful character in it and has the best of the argument. In Alexandrine's history it must always be borne in mind that her original doctrine was Lutheranism, and it was the Catholicity not so much of Rome as of the Church Universal that was attracting her. She had begun by feeling much drawn to the Greek Church, but the bias was now given by her human affections and the examples she saw. She continues:

'Montal. made me sing a number of ballads and national airs that he had collected in his travels. Among them was a charming German hymn, on words taken from S. Bernard (JESU, wie süss, wer dein gedenkt) saying that nothing is so sweet as the thought of JESUS, nor so sweet as His Presence. Montal. was always asking me for it, though at first he thought it almost profane to let me sing it; but then he was surprised to find that I sang it with an expression approaching, he said, to that which was thrown into it by three pious young women at Ratisbon, who used to sing it at their work.' Pp. 229-30.

marked *

'PISA, Feb. 1835. You know, dear friend, that you have often accused me of making myself out worse than I am. If you knew my whole life, you would soon change your mind, and find that my good character is terribly usurped, to such a degree that I am sometimes tormented by the thought that there must be deceit in my nature. It is true that I have never been thoroughly bad, and that I never refused the brilliant but fugitive flashes that have guilty? Dante describes such dubious souls as my soul. But am I not even more rejected alike by heaven and hell. I take everything up, at first, with fervour, and at the same time what had found me most ardent, leaves me duiled and disgusted. Often before my marriage, in the most exalted period of my passion, I felt discouraged. . . . . I owe this feebleness and inconstancy partly to my weak health and my delicate and irritable temperament, and partly also to an education without positive aim. My father made all imaginable sacrifices for me, but the men to whom he entrusted me abused his confidence. I was naturally gentle and active; without them I might have committed greater errors, but I should have retained more energy. When I left them I had lost the freshness of heart that some privileged souls retain long after their entrance into life, and yet I was as timid as a child. Then I came to Italy, where the climate did me more harm than good, for it increased the excitability of my imagination and the irritability of my temperament. Thenceforth, I have been the sport of the two beings we have within us, sometimes good and raising myself to the highest regions it has been given me to attain, sometimes let

• Sillonne.'