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LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS. 
from his steed, and bearing, as he did, about him 
the marks of haste and travel, he hurried to pay 
his respects to her before he entered the hall. As 
he took her hand, he thought that she had never 
before appeared so beautiful. After a long con¬ 
versation, during which time flew by unheeded, he 
looked at the few pale Snowdrops which she held 
between the whiteness of her fingers, and the small 
sprig of a hardy biennial Stock, which had flowered 
before its time, and said, with a smile, while his 
voice was tremulous with the earnestness of his 
emotion, “ Sweet lady, you now hold the emblems 
of Hope and Beauty in your hand ; ” and, gathering 
a bunch of blossoms from the Peach, which already 
bloomed upon the old garden-wall, he added, “ You 
are, like myself, well versed in the meanings which 
the old poets have attributed to the flowers. Sweet 
lady mine, place this before the Snowdrop, then 
read me the sentence, that I may know whether or 
not you have forgotten the Language of Flowers 
which we studied together last summer.” She 
paused a moment, smiled, looked down, and said, 
“ They mean, I am your Captive, and Hope to 
possess such-” then sne blushed, and remained 
silent. He confessed his love, and was accepted. 
When the General discovered the young lady’s 
rank, he shrank back from his engagement; and 
dearly as he loved her, from motives of honour 
