Retrospect of French Literature—AMiscellanies. 
and he of course expresses his ideas with 
vivacity.” 
“Do not you remark” adds she in one 
of her letters to her fair correspondent, 
“ that the image of my husband is always 
connected with mane in tis heart? When 
{ see him so tenderly attached to M. 
D<Aibe, so assiduous 1n his attentions to 
aman of more than sixty years of age, 
and when I recollect the effusions of 
similar regard which We both experience, 
ean I wonder if Frederic has conceived 
a lively affection for me?” 
At length Madame d’Aibe* perceives 
that all this is not real friendship, but 
love; warm, tender, and animated love, 
This however, is not disclosed, until after 
Frederic had saved the lite of her hus- 
band, an event which leads to too tender 
an interview during an evening walk sub- 
sequently to that event. 
* My heart,” says Clara to her female 
friend * was still vibrating with the dilfe- 
rent emotions which I had experienced, 
and I walked on, silently ineditating on 
what had occurred. I recalled to my 
memory the heroie intrepidity with which 
Frederic had exposed himself to almost 
certain death, in order to save the life of 
aman, whom he considered as a second 
father. I cast my eves on him; and as 
the moon beamed mildly on his counte- 
nance, I beheld his eyes suffased with 
tears. Softened into teuderness, | walked 
up to him; my arm rested on his bosom, 
and he pressed it with ‘eagerness to his 
heart: this caused mine also to palpitate, 
“Clara! Clara!” he exclaimed with a 
half stifled voice, “ bow cheerfully would 
J sacrifice my life for the prolongation of 
this instant. My heart now touches all 
that I hold dear; [see her; [ press hier to 
my bosom.” In truth, I was almost in his 
arms.. “4iear me!” added he in a kind of 
rapture approaching to frenzy, “if you 
are not an anzel whom J ought to adore, 
and whom heaven has lent fur a few mo- 
ments to the earth:—if you are really a 
haman being, tell me why you alone of 
all your sex, have received that soul, that 
look, that profusion of charins and accom- 
plishments, which render you thé sole 
object of my idolatry? Clara! [ know 
not whether I offend you; but as my life 
breathes unly in your veins, and depends 
only on your will; tell me frankly if [am 
guilty in your eyes; bid me but die, and 
ou shall see me expire at your feet. 
“ He had already falien at my feet by 
this time; and while his forehead ap- 
peared burning, bis looks were wild and 
unsettled, As for myself, L will not 
673 
attempt to prove what I experienced; 
my bosom thrilled with compassion, tens 
derness—aud love such as it was perhaps 
my destiny to feel. In fine, I supported 
myself with ditheulty, until I found an 
opportunity to sit down on the trunk of 
an old tree which was stripped ofits leaves. 
“At last finding utterance for my 
words, Frederic! | exclaimed, dear Fre- 
deric! return to yourself, resume your 
reason; why will you distress and terrify 
your friend? 
“(jn this he raised his head, and re- 
clined it on my knees. 1 believe indeed 
that I pressed it with my hand, fur he soon 
exclaimed ; 
“QO Ciara, that motion of your hand 
which brings me closer to your bosom, 
imparts extacy to my own ! ! 
“ On Saying this, he folded me in his 
arms, while my ‘head fell on his shoulder, 
and a deduge of tears served as my only 
reply; for this unhappy young man had 
worked but too much on my compassion. 
Ol! when I was the cause of so much 
suffering, and when the sufferer was a 
friend, had £ my dear Eliza no excuse 
for my weakness? 
*< T was at thismoment so close to him, 
that 1 felt the impression of bis lips, 
which caught my tears. This novel sen- 
sation made me sitummon iny resentment 
to my aid, and parting Frederic from me 
with violence, L immediately cried out: 
“ Wretch! can you forget that your 
benefactor, that your friend, your father, 
is the husband of her whom you have 
the presumption to love! Can you be 
so perfidious! Return to your senses, and 
be yourself again, as treachery 15 but ill 
suited to your generous heart. 
‘On this, he rose instantly, and gazing 
on me with afiright proceeded as follows : 
—What have you said? ah, what have 
you said, incomparable Clara? [ forget 
every thing in your presence; but your 
reproof, likeaclap of thunder, makes me 
sensible of my duty and my crime. 
Adieu! [ am going to depart, adieu: 
this is the last rime! we skall ever meet 
again. Clara, Clara, farewell! 
“He now went away; but heing alarm- 
ed at his intentions, T recalled him in 
an agony of despair ;—he heard me and 
returned. 
* Vhe good old man said T, whose 
confidence you have betrayed, is ignorant 
of the wrong you have done him; and if 
he but suspected it, his peace would be 
destroyed for ever. There is only one 
way Frederic by which you can expiate 
your fault, and that is by annihilating the 
sentiment 
