vided us always; fate denied me my
right. I have suffered many things; but does it not argue, at least, in
favour of my love, that it has survived all the trials to which your
father's hate had subjected me? To-night I could forgive him all! all! if I
knew that he had not so successfully hardened, closed your heart against
me. My soul is full of bitterness which would move you, if one trait of
your girlish nature remained. But you are not my Irene! The world's queen,
the dazzling idol of the ball-room, is not my blue-eyed, angelic Irene of
old! I will intrude upon you no longer. Try at least not to despise me for
my folly; I will crush it; and if you deign to remember me at all in
future, think of a man who laughs at his own idiocy, and strives to forget
that he ever believed there lived one woman who would be true to her own
heart, even though the heavens fell and the world passed away!"

He rose partially, but her hand fell quickly upon his shoulder, and the
bowed face lifted itself, stainless as starry jasmines bathed in equatorial
dews.

"Mr. Aubrey, you are too severe upon yourself, and very unjust to me. The
circumstances which conspired to alienate us were far beyond my control; I
regret them as sincerely as you possibly can, but as unavailably. If I have
individually occasioned you sorrow or disappointment, God knows it was no
fault of mine! We stand on the opposite shores of a dark, bridgeless gulf;
but before we turn away to be henceforth strangers, I stretch out my hand
to you in friendly farewell--deeply regretting the pain which I may have
innocently caused you, and asking your forgiveness. Mr. Aubrey, remember me
as I was, not as I am. Good-bye, my friend. May God bless you in coming
years, and crown your life with the happiness you merit, is the earnest
prayer of my heart."

The rare blue cord on her brow told how fiercely the lava-flood surged
under its icy bands, and the blanched lip matched her cheek in
colourlessness; save these tokens of anguish, no other was visible.

Russell drew down the hand from his shoulder, and folded it in both his
own.

"Irene, are we to walk different paths henceforth--utter strangers? Is such
your will?"

"Such is the necessity, which must be as apparent to you as to me. Do not
doubt my friendship, Mr. Aubrey; but doubt the propriety of my parading it
before the world."

He bent his cheek down on her cold hand, then raised it to his lips once,
twice--laid it back o