Mrs. Asbury noticed her emotion, and asked, with some surprise: 

“Did you never see this before?”

“No; it was always covered, and hung too high for me to lift the crape.”  Beulah’s eyes were riveted on the canvas.  Mrs. Asbury watched her a moment, and said: 

“It is an undetermined question in my mind whether beauty, such as this, is not a curse.  In this instance assuredly it proved so, for it wrecked the happiness of both husband and wife.  My dear child, do you know your guardian’s history?”

“I know nothing of him, save that he is my best friend.”

“When I first saw Guy Hartwell he was one of the noblest men I ever met, commanding universal admiration and esteem.  It was before his marriage.  He was remarkably handsome, as you can readily imagine he must have been, and his manners possessed a singular fascination for all who came within the circle of his acquaintance.  Even now, after the lapse of ten years, I remember his musical, ringing laugh; a laugh I have never heard since.  His family were aristocratic and wealthy, and Guy was his mother’s idol.  She was a haughty, imperious woman, and her ‘boy,’ as she fondly termed him, was her pride.  His only sister (Mrs. Chilton, or, rather, Mrs. Lockhart) was his senior, and he had a younger brother, Harry, who was extremely wild; ran away from home and spent most of his time at sea.  Guy was naturally of a happy, genial temperament; fond of study; fond of art, flowers, poetry, everything that was noble and beautiful, that could minister to highly cultivated tastes.  Mr. Chilton was unfortunate in his speculations; lost his fortune, and died soon after Pauline’s birth, leaving his wife and child dependent on her mother and brother.  May and the old lady often disagreed, and only Guy could harmonize their discords.  During a visit to New Orleans he accidentally met the original of this portrait; her family were almost destitute, but he aided them very liberally.  She was very beautiful, and, in an unlucky hour, he determined to marry her.  She was a mere child, and he placed her for a while at a school, where she enjoyed every educational advantage.  He was completely fascinated; seemed to think only of Creola, and hastened the marriage.  His mother and sister bitterly opposed the match, ridiculed his humble and portionless bride; but he persisted, and brought her here, a beautiful, heedless girl.  Guy built that house, and his mother and sister occupied one near him, which was burnt before you knew anything about them.  Of course his wife went constantly into society, and, before six months elapsed, poor Guy discovered that he had made a fatal mistake.  She did not love him; had married him merely for the sake of an elegant home, and money to lavish as her childish whims dictated.  Ah, Beulah! it makes my heart ache to think of the change this discovery wrought in Guy’s nature.  He was a proud man, naturally; but now he became repulsive, cold,