est purpose, and--time--"

"Oh! child," he exclaimed, drawing her tenderly toward him, "have
patience with me, leave it to time, do not doubt my honest purpose. I
was sure of it--one hour with you, and the enchantment would be
powerless, the magic spell shamed by your dear presence. I thank you
for having insisted upon knowing everything to-day. Now for the first
time I can hope to sleep. The last two nights, in spite of Heinrich's
company and all the fatigues of traveling, I could not obtain anything
worthy of the name of repose. I had dreams which I should pity a
condemned man for having. Now if I can hold your hand--"

"Please go first," she said without looking at him. "I'll come
directly---as soon as I've read the letter."

"You might wait until to-morrow--"

"This very day! Do me this favor; then to-morrow all will be over."

He took out his pocket book and looked for the fatal letter. "There it
is," said he. "I scarcely know myself what she really wrote, except
that it excited and grieved me inexpressibly. Oh! if we could find some
way to help her endure life! Think of the matter, my beloved Wisdom.
I've racked my brains in vain. Perhaps you will have some advice to
offer."

She nodded, apparently with the most perfect composure, and while he
remained in the room held the letter in her hand, without opening it.
But he had scarcely entered the adjoining room with the little lamp he
had just lighted, when with trembling hands and cheeks suffused by a
sudden flush, she opened the envelope and with restless eyes devoured
the lines.

When the maid-servant entered the room early the next morning, she was
startled to find her mistress lying asleep on the green sofa, with the
lamp, whose oil had now burned out, on the table beside her. Her
astonishment increased, when she looked through the half open door of
the chamber and saw her master, whose late return she had not heard,
quietly sleeping in his bed. The noise she made in her attempt to leave
the room again, roused the young wife; she glanced around in her
bewilderment and evidently could not remember how she happened to be on
this unusual couch. The fatal letter still lay on the table before her,
and she suddenly recollected all. She motioned to the servant to keep
quiet, and crept on tip-toe to the threshold of the adjoining room,
where she paused and listened to Edwin's regular breathing. The next
instant she had removed her clothes, noiselessly lain down