A regular correspondence was kept up between the self-constituted
guardian and his _protege_; and the more the former read the heart of
the young man, the more did he rejoice that he had befriended him. He
read with mingled pride and affection the repeated instances of his
daring courage and matchless skill which found their way into the
newspapers; while the record of his humanity to a fallen foe contributed
to swell the tide of the old gentleman's affection.
On his return from Mexico, Henry's first care was to see his devoted
friend and guardian, and he accepted his pressing invitation to spend a
month at Bellevue.
As an inmate of her father's family, he was, of course, a constant
companion of Emily. Her radiant beauty had captivated his heart long ere
the month had expired; and he saw, or thought he saw, in the heart of
the fair girl, indications of a sympathetic sentiment. In the rashness
of his warm blood he had allowed himself to cherish a lively hope that
his dawning love was not entirely unrequited. He had seen that _his_
bouquet was more fondly cherished than the offerings of others; that
_his_ hand, as she alighted from the carriage, was more gladly received
than any other; that _his_ conversation never wearied her; in short,
there was in all their intercourse an unmistakable exponent of feelings
deeper than those of common friendship.
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