ne--am the woman whom you
love, and to whom you have sworn eternal truth and eternal love! Henry
Howard, my beloved, I now remind you of your oath! Your life belongs to
me. This you have vowed, and I now come to demand of you that which is
my own!"

"Ay, my life belongs to you, Geraldine! But it is a miserable,
melancholy possession, which you will call yours only a few hours
longer."

She threw her arms closely around his neck; she raised him to her heart;
she kissed his mouth, his eyes. He felt her tears, which trickled like
hot fountains over his face; he heard her sighs, which struggled from
her breast like death-groans.

"You must not die!" murmured she, amid her tears. "No, Henry, you must
live, so that I too can live; so that I shall not become mad from agony
and sorrow for you! My God, my God, do you not then feel how I love you?
Know you not, then, that your life is my life, and your death my death?"

He leaned his head on her shoulder, and, wholly intoxicated with
happiness, he scarcely heard what she was speaking.

She was again there! What cared he for all the rest?

"Geraldine," softly whispered he, "do you recollect still how we first
met each other? how our hearts were united in one throb, how our lips
clung to each other in one kiss? Geraldine, my life, my loved one, we
then swore that naught could separate us, that our love should survive
the grave! Geraldine, do you remember that still?"

"I remember it, my Henry! But you shall not die yet; and not in death,
but in life, shall your love for me be proved! Ay, we will live, live!
And your life shall be my life, and where you are, there will I be also!
Henry, do you remember that you vowed this to me with a solemn oath!"

"I remember it, but I cannot keep my word, my Geraldine! Hear you how
they are sawing and hammering there below? Know you what that indicates,
dearest?"

"I know it, Henry! It is the scaffold that they are building there
below. The scaffold for you and me. For I too will die if you will not
live; and the axe that seeks your neck shall find mine also, if you wish
not that we both live!"

"Do I wish it! But how can we, beloved?"

"We can, Henry, we can! All is ready for the flight! It is all arranged,
everything prepared! The king's signet-ring has opened to me the gates
of the prison; the omnipotence of gold has won over your jailer. He
will not see it, when two persons instead of one leave this dungeon.
Unmolested and witho