Him I saw not; I had eyes for none but her.

A long veil shrouded half her graceful form, but did not hide it; I could see that while she carried her head erect, her eyes were bent upon the ground, and her face and neck were suffused with a crimson blush; but every feature was radiant with smiles, and gleaming through the misty whiteness of her veil were clusters of golden ringlets! Oh, heavens! it was not my Helen! The first glimpse made me start--but my eyes were darkened with exhaustion and despair.

Dare I trust them?
'Yes--it is not she! It was a younger, slighter, rosier beauty--lovely indeed, but with far less dignity and depth of soul--without that indefinable grace, that keenly spiritual yet gentle charm, that ineffable power to attract and subjugate the heart--my heart at least.

I looked at the bridegroom--it was Frederick Lawrence! I wiped away the cold drops that were trickling down my forehead, and stepped back as he approached; but, his eyes fell upon me, and he knew me, altered as my appearance must have been.
'Is that you, Markham ?' said he, startled and confounded at the apparition--perhaps, too, at the wildness of my looks.
'Yes, Lawrence; is that you ?' I mustered the presence of mind to reply.
He smiled and coloured, as if half-proud and half-ashamed of his identity; and if he had reason to be proud of the sweet lady on his arm, he had no less cause to be ashamed of having concealed his good fortune so long.
'Allow me to introduce you to my bride,' said he, endeavouring to hide his embarrassment by an assumption of careless gaiety.

'Esther, this is Mr.Markham; my friend Markham, Mrs.Lawrence, late Miss Hargrave.' I bowed to the bride, and vehemently wrung the bridegroom's hand.
'Why did you not tell me of this ?' I said, reproachfully, pretending a resentment I did not feel (for in truth I was almost wild with joy to find myself so happily mistaken, and overflowing with affection to him for this and for the base injustice I felt that I had done him in my mind--he might have wronged me, but not to that extent; and as I had hated him like a demon for the last forty hours, the reaction from such a feeling was so great that I could pardon all offences for the moment--and love him in spite of them too).
'I did tell you,' said he, with an air of guilty confusion; 'you received my letter ?' 'What letter ?' 'The one announcing my intended marriage.' 'I never received the most distant hint of such an intention.' 'It must have crossed you on your way then--it should have reached you yesterday morning--it was rather late, I acknowledge.