he semblance of
intellectual strength. Zillah's jealousy kept pace with her headlong
love, and in one of its most violent paroxysms she made the attempt on
the life of Burrell, which, it is easy to believe, he never forgave.
Subsequently, and during the remainder of his stay in Paris, he humoured
her fancy, and led her to imagine that he had sufficient influence with
Cromwell to prevail on him to interest her father on her behalf, and do
what no Israelite of the time had ever done--recognise a Christian
son-in-law. After Burrell's departure, however, she soon saw how little
reliance was to be placed upon his promises, and therefore resolved to
act for herself. Suspicion and jealousy divided her entire soul between
them; and she determined not to trust Dalton to bring her over to
England, because Burrell had recommended her to do so. Jeromio was known
to the person at whose house she lodged at St. Vallery, and, hearing
that she wanted to get to England, and would dispense much largess to
secure a passage, he thought he could make something by secreting her on
board, and then passing her off to his captain as a dumb boy. To this
plan Zillah readily agreed, for her imagination was at all times far
stronger than her reason. She had cast her life upon a die, and cared
not by what means her object was to be secured.

It is one of the most extraordinary anomalies in the female character,
that, having once outstepped the boundaries that are never even thought
upon but with danger, it plunges deeper and deeper still into
irretrievable ruin. Perhaps it is because women must feel most acutely
that society never permits them to retrieve, or, what is much the same,
takes no cognisance of their repentance, be it ever so sincere: their
station once lost is never to be regained; it would seem as if Dante's
inscription on the gates of Hell were to be for ever their motto--"All
hope abandon." Man may err, and err, and be forgiven; but poor woman,
with all his temptations and but half his strength, is placed beyond the
pale of earthly salvation if she be but once tempted into crime! It is a
hard, even though it may be a salutary law.

It must be borne in mind that Zillah had committed as great an iniquity
in the eyes of her people by marrying as by intriguing; nor could she
expect pardon for either one or the other, except by some wonderful and
powerful interposition, such as Burrell held out. It was astonishing to
witness the fortitude