me of goodness, for whom?"

"For whom, indeed, but my well-beloved cousin Francis Mordaunt!"

"That's a poor, very poor sort of jest, sir; you know very well that
your cousin Mordaunt has no intentions of ever marrying."

"Listen to me, Francis! When we first met on the heath, and you told
me your intentions on this point, I had no reasons for trying to
dissuade you from them; but to-day, as you yourself know, the case is
different. You will recollect the freedom with which I have pointed
out to you any defects which I considered a blemish on your noble
character. Do you think I should have taken such a liberty if I had
not conceived the idea, fostered the hope, of your one day consenting
to become--my wife?"

The word, the all-important word, was at last said.

"Well, indeed, Leo," she began with a profound sigh, "since you
force me to speak seriously, I must remind you of my last warning,
'not to use such language to me;' it cannot, it may not be."

"And why not, Francis? Did I deceive myself when I thought I was not
altogether indifferent to you?"

She turned aside her face in silence, but I was sure I heard something
like a suppressed sigh.

"Is it possible you are not disengaged?" I inquired, taking her
hand gently and placing myself before her so that I could look into
her eyes.

"Disengaged! Certainly I am disengaged," she answered bitterly. "I
have done my best to remain so; and I have all along told you I must
be independent. It is necessary."

"Ah, I comprehend, Francis!" I exclaimed, carried away by an absurd
jealousy; "you are still waiting for your Lord William."

"I?" she returned with passion; "I waiting for Lord William,
who never loved me, who caused me to commit a thousand follies,
who broke my heart, and who must now be nearly sixty! No, Leopold;
don't humiliate me by pretending to be jealous of Lord William. Could
I have told you the history of his stay with us if I still loved him?"

"Is it then only a whim of Major Frank, who will surrender to no man,
but prefers his savage kind of independence?"

"Don't torment me in this way, Leopold. You can break my heart,
but you cannot overcome my objections."

"Then I will discover this mysterious power which enthrals you,"
I cried, full of anger and pain.

"You already know the duties I have to fulfil, Leopold. Why should you
throw yourself into this abyss of misfortunes and miseries, in which I
am sinking? and I shall never be able to ge