“My dear child:  Doubtless you will be amazed to hear that your quondam lover has utterly driven your image from his fickle heart; and that he ignores your existence as completely as if you were buried twenty feet in the ruins of Herculaneum.  Last night Gordon Leigh was married to Gertrude Powell, and the happy pair, attended by that despicable mother, Agnes Powell, will set out for Europe early next week.  My dear, it is growing fashionable to ’marry for spite.’  I have seen two instances recently, and know of a third which will take place ere long.  Poor Gordon will rue his rashness, and, before the year expires, he will arrive at the conclusion that he is an unmitigated fool, and has simply performed, with great success, an operation familiarly known as cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face!  Your rejection of his renewed offer piqued him beyond expression, and when he returned from New York he was in exactly the most accommodating frame of mind which Mrs. Powell could desire.  She immediately laid siege to him.  Gertrude’s undisguised preference for his society was extremely soothing to his vanity, which you had so severely wounded, and in fine, the indefatigable manoeuvres of the wily mamma, and the continual flattery of the girl, who is really very pretty, accomplished the result.  I once credited Gordon with more sense than he has manifested, but each year convinces me more firmly of the truth of my belief, that no man is proof against the subtle and persistent flattery of a beautiful woman.  When he announced his engagement to me, we were sitting in the library, and I looked him full in the face, and answered:  ’Indeed!  Engaged to Miss Powell?  I thought you swore that so long as Edna Earl remained unmarried you would never relinquish your suit?’ He pointed to that lovely statuette of Pallas that stands on the mantelpiece, and said bitterly, ’Edna Earl has no more heart than that marble Athena.’  Whereupon I replied, ’Take care, Gordon.  I notice that of late you seem inclined to deal rather too freely in hyperbole.  Edna’s heart may resemble the rich veins of gold, which in some mines run not near the surface but deep in the masses of quartz.  Because you can not obtain it, you have no right to declare that it does not exist.  You will probably live to hear some more fortunate suitor shout Eureka! over the treasure.’  He turned pale as the Pallas and put his hand over his face.  Then I said, ’Gordon, my young friend, I have always been deeply interested in your happiness; tell me frankly, do you love this girl Gertrude?’ He seemed much embarrassed, but finally made his confession:  ’Mrs. Murray, I believe I shall be fond of her after a while.  She is very lovely, and deeply, deeply attached to me, (vanity you see, Edna,) and I am grateful for her affection.  She will brighten my lonely home, and at least I can be proud of her rare beauty.  But I never expect to love any woman as I loved Edna Earl.  I can pet Gertrude; I should