it; and, remember, Heaven's pardon is not granted
to us simply for the asking; neither do we receive it
because our hearts are penitent; but for the sake
of Him who died for us upon the cross; hence you
are now forgiven by me, not for your prayers' sake,
nor for your regret, but rather because beforehand,
the night's offence has been cancelled by the morn-
ing's favor. For the rest, retire, sir: what you
have heard, you have heard. You have heard my
words, yet give no heed to them. If I to-night
have walked forth in my sleep, and dreamed on this
verandah; -- why, then, it was but a dream. Let it
be thus esteemed, and so we part. Good night."

"Stay!" exclaimed the stranger, as, smiling with
ineffable sweetness, and deeply curtsying, she
drew backwards towards the window: "Stay; how
can those part whom destiny hath joined; how
be divided whom their fates make one? Stay, lady,
and let love, young love, plead his own cause. Oh,
I would yet charm you with my tongue, even as
your own detected tongue has just declared that
this morning I charmed you with my deed. Stay.
If, in truth, you did admire, what, at the moment of
its execution, I thought nothing of, and value now
only as it has relation to yourself, hear my appeal."

"What does this mean?" she asked, startled at
his earnestness: "I do not know you; go, oh, go; I
say again, I do not know you, sir."

"I never knew myself till now," he cried with
bitter pathos.

"I say, I do not know you; you do not know
_me;_" she reiterated.

"Know me to be irrevocably yours;" rejoined the

[[39]]

p038 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p039w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p040

v?