my Pauline who
began to inspire me with such ardent desires that I dreaded an explosion
every moment. And yet I had not so much as kissed her hand.

When Sophie had gone I made her sit beside me, and taking her hand I
kissed it rapturously, saying,

"Are you married, Pauline?"

"Yes."

"Do you know what it is to be a mother?"

"No, but I can partly imagine what happiness it must be."

"Are you separated from your husband?"

"Yes, by circumstances and against our will. We were separated before we
had cohabited together."

"Is he at London?"

"No, he is far away, but please don't say anything more about it."

"Only tell me whether my loss will be his gain."

"Yes, and I promise not to leave you till I have to leave England--that
is, unless you dismiss me--and I shall leave this happy island to be
happy with the husband of my choice."

"But I, dear Pauline, will be left unhappy, for I love you with all my
heart, and am afraid to give you any proof of my love."

"Be generous and spare me, for I am not my own mistress, and have no
right to give myself to you; and perhaps, if you were so ungenerous as to
attack me, I should not have the strength to resist."

"I will obey, but I shall still languish. I cannot be unhappy unless I
forfeit your favour."

"I have duties to perform, my dear friend, and I cannot neglect them
without becoming contemptible in my own eyes and yours too."

"I should deem myself the most miserable of men if I despised a woman for
making me happy."

"Well, I like you too well to think you capable of such conduct, but let
us be moderate, for we may have to part to-morrow. You must confess that
if we yielded to desire, this parting would be all the more bitter. If
you are of another opinion, that only shews that your ideas of love and
mine are different."

"Then tell me of what sort of love is that with which I am happy enough
to have inspired you?"

"It is of such a kind that enjoyment would only increase it, and yet
enjoyment seems to me a mere accident."

"Then what is its essence?"

"To live together in perfect unity."

"That's a blessing we can enjoy from morning to eve, but why should we
not add the harmless accident which would take so short a time, and give
us such peace and tranquillity. You must confess, Pauline, that the
essence cannot exist long without the accident."

"Yes, but you in your turn, you will agree that the food often proves in
time to be deadly."

"