The Berners of the Burning Hearts

"Oh, anything you please, so that it is nice and neatly served," said
Mr. Berners, with a slightly impatient wave of his hand as if he would
have been rid of his obsequious host.

"Ah-ha! anything I please! It is easy to see what ails him. He lives
upon love just now; but he'll care more about his bill of fare a few
weeks hence," chuckled the landlord, as he left the public parlor to
execute his guest's orders.

The bridegroom was no sooner left alone with his bride than he seated
her in the easiest arm-chair, and began with affectionate zeal to untie
her bonnet-strings and unclasp her mantle.

"You make my maid a useless appendage, dear Lyon," said the little lady,
smiling up in his eyes.

"Because I like to do everything for you myself, sweet Sybil; because I
am jealous of every hand that touches your dear person, except my own,"
he murmured tenderly as he removed her bonnet, and with all his
worshipping soul glowing through his eyes, gazed upon her beautiful and
beaming face.

"You love me so much, dear Lyon! You love me so much! Yet not too much
either! for oh! if you should ever cease to love me, or even if you were
ever to love me less,--I--I dare not think what I should do!" she
muttered in a long, deep, shuddering tone.