ended knees.

But if she was coy and cold before, she was unapproachable now. In vain
did he vow that he had never ceased to love her more than life--that he
adored her even more now in her anger than in her indifference.

"I vow to God," he wrote, "you do so entirely possess my
thoughts that I think of nothing else in this world but
your dear self. I do not, by all that is good, say this
that I think it will move you to pity me, for I do
despair of your love, but it is to let you see how unjust
you are, and that I must ever love you as long as I have
breath, do what you will. I do not expect in return that
you should either write or speak to me. I beg that you
will give me leave to do what I cannot help, which is to
adore you as long as I live; and in return I will study
how I may deserve, though not have, your love."

Was ever lover more abject, or ever maid so hard of heart, at least in
seeming? To this pathetic effusion, which ought to have melted the heart
of, and at least wrung forgiveness from, a sphinx, she retorted that he
had merely written it to amuse himself, and to "make her think that he
had an affection for her when she was assured he had none." At last,
however, importunity tells its tale. She consents to see him; but warns
him that

"if it be only to repeat those things which you have said
so often, I shall think you the worst of men and the most
ungrateful; and 'tis to no purpose to imagine that I will
be made ridiculous to the world."

Still again she gave signs of thawing. To his next letter, in which he
wrote:

"I do love and adore you with all my heart and soul, so
much that by all that is good, I do and ever will be
better pleased with your happiness than my own,"

she answered:

"If it were sure that you have that passion for me which
you say you have, you would find out some way to make
yourself happy--it is in your power. Therefore press me
no more to see you, since it is what I cannot in honour
approve of; and if I have done so much, be as good as to
consider who was the cause of it."

At last Churchill had received a crumb of real encouragement. Even the
veriest poltroon in love must take heart at such words as these--"you
would find out some way to make yourself happy--_it is in your power_."
And it was with a light step and buoyant heart that he went the
foll