depended, he conceived, his last resource—which was, to teach Rosilia botany from Rousseau's treatise on that science, of which Mr. Wakefield's little work had given her already a very pleasing and general idea, and she could have had no objection to increasing her knowledge of so elegant a study, but certainly not from Rousseau, nor under the tuition of Melliphant.
Making inquiry, whether she had paid attention to his botanical prints, he took occasion to introduce the subject, to which she replied in the negative.
"Then," added he, "may I hope for the pleasure of your company early some morning, that you may be afforded time for their inspection? Should Mrs. De Brooke be disinclined to accompany you, Mrs Belmour, I am persuaded will with the greatest pleasure. I could also at the same time show you some trifling collections of my own making; though, in their present state, they do not exhibit much beauty."
"I perceived," said Rosilia, "some leaves covered by a bit of glass, in one of the partitions of the cabinet."
"Those leaves," replied Melliphant, sighing deeply, and speaking in accents half broken, "Those leaves—every—frag—ment be—be—long—ing to that little sprig of myrtle, and those—rose-leaves—I would not," throwing the utmost emphasis in his expression, "I would not exchange them for the whole contents of the cabinet; they are prized by me, more than all I possess besides."
