n they're excited--they'd
say _any_thing!"

"Silence!" commanded the statue. "Should not I have skill to read the
signs of love? This girl loves you with no sister's love. Deny it not!"

Leander felt that his position was becoming untenable; he could only
save Matilda by a partial abandonment. "Well, suppose she does," he
said, "I'm not obliged to return it, am I?"

Matilda shrank back. "Oh, Leander!" she cried, with a piteous little
moan.

"You've brought it on yourself!" he said; "you will come here
interfering!"

"Interfering!" she repeated wildly, "you call it that! How can I help
myself? Am I to stand by and see you giving yourself up to, nobody can
tell what? As long as I have strength to move and breath to speak I
shall stay here, and beg and pray of you not to be so foolish and wicked
as to go away with her! How do you know where she will take you to?"

"Cease this railing!" said the statue. "Leander loves you not! Away,
then, before I lay you dead at my feet!"

"Leander," cried the poor girl, "tell me: it isn't true what she says?
You didn't mean it! you _do_ love me! You don't really want me to go
away?"

For her own sake he must be cruel; but he could scarcely speak the words
that were to drive her from his side for ever. "This--this lady," he
said, "speaks quite correct. I--I'd very much rather you went!"

She drew a deep sobbing breath. "I don't care for anything any more!"
she said, and faced the statue defiantly. "You say you can strike me
dead," she said: "I'm sure I hope you can! And the sooner the
better--for I will not leave this room!"

The dreamy smile still curved the statue's lips, in terrible contrast to
the inflexible purpose of her next words.

"You have called down your own destruction," she said, "and death shall
be yours!"

"Stop a bit," cried Leander, "mind what you're doing! Do you think I'll
go with you if you touch a single hair of my poor Tillie's head? Why,
I'd sooner stay in prison all my life! See here," and he put his arm
round Matilda's slight form; "if you crush her, you crush me--so now!"

"And if so," said the goddess, with cruel contempt, "are you of such
value in my sight that I should stay my hand? You, whom I have sought
but to manifest my power, for no softer feelings have you ever
inspired! And now, having withstood me for so long, you turn, even at
the moment of yielding, to yonder creature! And it is enough. I will
contend no longer for so mean a prize!