63. 
ous; the fleshly man soon prevails in 
the impassioned Leonce, and it is not a 
little cutious to observe how a female 
author, in a work meant for general 
reading, treats so delicate a subject. 
Delphine attempts to saye herself in a 
Way, in which,. we believe, woman’s 
virtue. never was saved; namely, 
by throwing herself completely on the 
merey of her lover. A more effectual 
method of preserving her chastity is, 
however, adopted by the penitent The- 
resa, Who (desitts to expiate her own 
guilt by dedicating the remainder of her 
life to the service of God, in a religious 
community, and who prevails on Leonce 
and Delphine to be present at her reli- 
gious profession. She avails herself of 
this solemn occasion, to make a most 
impressive appeal to their consciences, 
and at the moment of her quitting the 
world for ever, she conjures them to 
save their souls by renouncing a dange- 
rous and criminal attachment, and pre- 
vails on Delphine to consent to fly all 
future intercourse with her lover. The 
are left alane in the church, and then 
ensues a scene which, we dare say, the 
author imagined to be very fine and im- 
passioned, but to us appears no better 
than the raving and ranting of mad 
people. 
“« Sect us remain here,’ said I to Leontius: 
«Jet us rest near the dead.'.—* No,’ said he, 
which still vibrates through my frame, ‘ no 
resistance! follow me !'—My strength failed 
me: he clasped me round the waist, and 
dragging me with him, T found myself pre- 
tisely in the front of the altar, at which the 
sacrifice of my fate had been consummated. I 
Jooked at Leontius, endeavouring to discover 
his iatentions: Dis hair was dishevelled ; 
his beaxty, more remarkable at this moment 
than at any other of bis life, assumed asu- 
pe rnatural character, and filled my soul at 
onee with terror and love. « Give me your 
Hand? he exclaimed, “gire tt me! if it be 
frase tlat you love me, you must stand in 
need, Hapless Delphine, you must, like me, 
“stand in need of happiness» Swear upon this 
altar, yes, upon the very/altar from which we 
Suust for eyer banish the frightful phantom 
ofan odious marriage, swear never to acknow- 
Yedge any other tie, any other duty than love : 
take an oath that you will be united with 
your lover; or I will this instant before your 
eyes dash out my brains against these marble 
steps, from which my blood will be spouted 
back upon you.” 
The consequence of this terrible scene 
bs PY > » . te 
is, that Delphine is seized with an illness 
whieh brings her to death’s door. At 
et ae, Ae. oe ~_ 
her recovery, is it not to be supposed: 
that, now at least, all intercourse will 
cease between them? No such. thing, 
however, takes place; their dangerous 
intimacy continues; and what is the 
most extraordinary is, that Mademoi- 
selle d’Albemar, an old maiden sister of 
Delphine’s late husband, a kind of men- 
tor, who, in general, gives her good ad» 
vice, dees not now counsel a separations 
“ I do not wellunderstand the boundaries 
that divide love and morality 5 destiny 
has denied me that experience, but’ to 
me it seems that, after the marriage of 
Leonce, you ought to have seen him no 
more; and having seen him, you ought 
not now suddenly to sacrifice him to the 
tempestuous virtues. 1 know not whether 
Leonce may have influenced me by his 
powers of pleasing, but; I own, if there be 
a glory tobe obtained by the woman who wart 
ders from the path of morality, it must surely 
be that of gaining the heart of such a 
man.” 
The harmony of the lovers is sooa 
disturbed by the appearance of a M. de 
Valorbe, who makes pretensions to the, 
hand of Delphine. Actuated, as she 
says, by a sense of gratitude for his hav. 
ing once saved Mons. d’Albemar’s life, 
she gives him one of those gentle refu- 
sals which do not deter lovers from stild 
wearing their chains. He is threatened 
with arrest, on account of his aristocra- 
tical opinions: Delphine promises him 
an asylum in her house, and as he is. 
going to enter it, in the middle of the 
night, Leonce accidentally discovers 
him, and, stimulated to madness, by 
jealousy, he grossly insults him. A 
challenge ensues; and Delphine endea- 
vours to prevent a duel, by appealing to 
the feelmgs of M. de Valorbe. ‘This 
gentleman, after proving for a long 
time inexorable, makes a kind of bar- 
gain with her, namely, that if the 
aflront which he had received from Le- 
once (which was at present 2 secret), 
should ever be made public, and he, in 
consequence, suffers in his reputation 
for not having resented it; im that case, 
as a compensation to him, Delphine. 
should become his wife—to which she 
wives a tacit consent. Valorbe then quits 
Paris, to join his regiment, and soon 
after pagetliysenee arrives, that his bro. 
ther officers have received information 
of the affair, and oblige him to quit the; 
regiment in disgrace. In consequence 
of this, the reputation of Delphine. suf- 
fers-so-much at Paris, thatvshe is. pub- 
ROMANCES AND NOVELS. 
