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- delicateness, entirely hopeless of precisely defining the nature of
their mystical love, Glen chose rather to leave that precise definition
to the sympathetical heart and imagination of Pierre; while he himself
would go on to celebrate the general relation, by many a sugared
sentence of miscellaneous devotion. It was a little curious and rather
sardonically diverting, to compare these masterly, yet not wholly
successful, and indeterminate tactics of the accomplished Glen, with the
unfaltering stream of _Beloved Pierres_, which not only flowed along
the top margin of all his earlier letters, but here and there, from
their subterranean channel, flashed out in bright intervals, through all
the succeeding lines. Nor had the chance recollection of these things at
all restrained the reckless hand of Pierre, when he threw the whole
package of letters, both new and old, into that most honest and summary
of all elements, which is neither a respecter of persons, nor a finical
critic of what manner of writings it burns; but like ultimate Truth
itself, of which it is the eloquent symbol, consumes all, and only
consumes.
When the betrothment of Pierre to Lucy had become an acknowledged thing,
the courtly Glen, besides the customary felicitations upon that event,
had not omitted so fit an opportunity to re-tender to his cousin all his
previous jars of honey and treacle, accompanied by additional boxes of
candied citron and plums. Pierre thanked him kindly; but in certain
little roguish ambiguities begged leave, on the ground of cloying, to
return him inclosed by far the greater portion of his present; whose
non-substantialness was allegorically typified in the containing letter
itself, prepaid with only the usual postage.
True love, as every one knows, will still withstand many repulses, even
though rude. But whether it was the love or the politeness of Glen,
which on this occasion proved invincible, is a matter we will not
discuss. Certain it was, that quite undaunted, Glen nobly returned to
the charge, and in a very prompt and unexpected answer, extended to
Pierre all the courtesies of the general city, and all the hospitalities
of five sumptuous chambers, which he and his luxurious environments
contrived nominally to occupy in the most fashionable private hotel of a
very opulent town. Nor did Glen rest here; but like Napoleon, now seemed
bent upon gaining the battle by throwing all his regiments upon one
point of attack, and gaining that point at all hazards. Hearing of some
rumor at the tables of his relatives that the day was being fixed for
the positive nuptials of Pierre; Glen called all his Parisian
portfolios for his rosiest sheet, and with scented ink, and a pen of
gold, indited a most burnished and redolent letter, which, after
invoking all the blessings of Apollo and Venus, and the Nine Muses, and
the Cardinal Virtues upon the coming event; concluded at last with a
really magnificent testimonial to his love.
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