now was explained. The man, who was a daring young fellow, instead of going round by the public road, had taken the more dangerous route, either to signalize his zeal, or in the mere wantonness of youthful courage. The neighbours, of course, supposed that he had followed his master, and no inquiry was ever made into his fate.

plainly to Matilda the

but I must draw a veil

From

I now determined to state facts so far as I knew them, over our interview, and spare the reader the description of feelings which he can easily imagine. the very abyss of despair, her imagination bounded to the extreme of hope. She would listen to no caution. A thousand circumstances might have occurred to detain her lover. He was even now only a few hours beyond the appointed time. I became alarmed for her intellects! "Hush! hark! he shall come! He is in the avenue-he is on the stairs-he is in the room! Oh, my poor heart! He is surely here I feel that he is

in the room! Ernest, Ernest!

"Matilda! oh, my Matilda!" It was the voice of Ernest Wald. He had glided into the room unnoticed except by the mysterious sympathies of love, and unable longer to control his feelings, appeared like a spirit summoned by magic, and clasped her in his

arms.

It was his voice which the night before had swelled the burthen of the sounds my distempered imagination

reckoned supernatural-it was his friendship that had kindled the lights, which mingled with the small meteors of the marsh. Passing through the village in the evening, on his way to Matilda's house, he had learned from the inhabitants, who were gathered in a knot about the inn door, that an English stranger had been decoyed away by the spectre-lights, and drowned in the marsh. At the word " English," he ran to the room which had been mine, and to his surprise and horror recognised my portmanteau. It was fortunate for all parties, that he confined his search to the borders of the morass, never imagining for a moment that a person acquainted, as he supposed me to be, with the common phenomena of nature, would be mad enough to venture into the interior, in pursuit of an ignis fatuus. Had he been early enough to have seen us, and to have followed the strange chase-had the meeting and recognition taken place among the crumbling, melting islands of the morass, the destruction of all three would probably have been the consequence.

Matilda's father is now dead; and by a judicious application of his small means, her husband continues draining, year after year, a considerable portion of the marsh. When the whole of that extensive tract is brought under cultivation, it is supposed that Ernest Wald will be one of the richest proprietors in this district of the Palatinate.

THE ISLES OF THE SEA FAIRIES.

BY MARY HOWITT.

AMONG the isles of the golden mist
I lived for many a year;

And all that chanced unto me there,
'Tis well that ye should hear.

I dwelt in a hall of silvery pearl,
With rainbow light inlaid;

I sate on a throne, as old as the sea,
Of the ruby coral made.

The old carbuncle lit the dome,

Where I was sworn a king;

And my crown was wrought of the pale sea gold,
And so was my fairy ring.

And she who was set on my right hand,

As the morning star was fair;

She was clothed in a robe of shadowy light,
And veiled by her golden hair.