real separation, threw him into such a rage that I had
great difficulty in even partially soothing him.

"He had confidence in me, and I was forced to promise to invent some
pretext for commencing a correspondence with the countess, in order to
keep myself in some degree conversant with her condition. But these are
all useless expedients. I see clearly that there's but one hope of
solving this strange enigma, and--in some way--discovering where we
are. There's but one person who has any influence over her; it dawned
upon me like an inspiration, as soon as I saw him again. This one
person is--yourself! And now make up your mind, first, whether it's
your duty to set this poor woman's head straight, which some crotchet
has disturbed and bids fair to completely derange; secondly, whether
you can trust yourself to undertake it without danger to yourself or a
relapse into your old infatuation."

He had approached Edwin, and in spite of the gathering darkness, was
trying to read his face. After a time, as no answer came, he continued.
"But whatever you decide to do, you must do quickly. I've seen cases
where a state of mind that apparently gave no cause for uneasiness, and
resembled intellectual palsy rather than approaching insanity, would
suddenly at some trifle, change to most violent frenzy. I think that
you might then be unable to shake off the sense of a certain
responsibility, if you should now say: 'she's dead to me, it's not my
business to bring stranger's wives to their senses.' You see, Edwin,
I'm as sure as I am of my own existence, that neither he nor she would
tell any third person--no matter if the dignity and wisdom of a whole
faculty were united in him--what the poor wife would probably confide
to her old friend. The story about the child doesn't seem to me exactly
straight, but no one except herself can give any explanation of it.
Courage, Edwin! If she were in a burning house, you would not hesitate
to carry her out, even at the of being a little singed. Well, it wont
be so bad as that. What torments these poor, good, foolish creatures,
whether Catholics or Protestants, invent! what secret vows,
castigations, penances, and imaginary duties they impose upon themselves
dragging their poor bodies painfully about, and torturing their fellow
mortals! I could tell stories, of how I've now and then cured such a
distorted mind by a few sound remarks, though I can't vie with you in
logic. But here there's danger in