med, retaining her hand still in
mine, and reading love in the depths of her large dark eyes.

"'I have,' she answered bitterly, withdrawing her hand at the same time;
then in a tone of deep anguish she added, 'I implore you to let me
proceed on my way; and if you value your own happiness you will never
seek to see me more.'

"'But my happiness depends on seeing you often,' I exclaimed; 'and if
the offer of an honest heart be acceptable, I have that to give.'

"She shuddered dreadfully from head to foot.

"'Surely you are not married already?' I said, rendered desperate by her
strange and incomprehensible manner.

"'I married!' she absolutely shrieked forth. Then perceiving that I was
perfectly amazed and horrified by the wild vehemence of her
ejaculations, she said in a subdued, melancholy tone, 'I adjure you to
think of me no more.'

"'Listen, beauteous stranger,' I exclaimed; 'I love and adore you. My
happiness is at stake. Repeat that cruel adjuration, and you inflict a
death-blow. If I be loathsome to your sight, tell me so; but leave me
not a prey to the most horrible suspense. If you have a father, I will
accompany you to him and make honorable proposals.'

"'My father!' she murmured, while her countenance was suddenly swept by
a passing expression of anguish so intense that I began to tremble for
her reason.

"I implored her to speak candidly and openly, and not in brief sentences
of such ominous mystery. She scarcely appeared to listen to my words,
but seemed totally absorbed in the mental contemplation of a deeply
seated woe. At length she suddenly turned her large dark eyes upon me,
and said in a low, plaintive, profoundly touching tone:

"'Signor Cornari, again I adjure you to think of me no more. But for my
own sake I would not have you believe that unmaidenly conduct on my part
is the cause of the solemn prayer I thus make to you. No, no; I have
naught wherewith I can reproach myself; but there are reasons of
terrible import that compel me to address you in this manner.
Nevertheless,' she added, more slowly and hesitatingly, 'if you really
should continue to entertain so deep an interest in me as to render you
desirous to hear the last explanation from my lips, then may you rely
upon meeting me on this spot, and at the same hour, fifteen days hence.'

"She then hurried away. How that fortnight passed I can scarcely tell.
To me it appeared an age. I was deeply, madly enamored of that strange,
be