As Amine's eyes beamed upon Philip's, he could not for the moment
subdue the idea rising in his mind, that she was not like other
mortals, and he calmly observed, "Am I sure, Amine, that I am wedded
to one mortal as myself?"

"Yes! yes! Philip, compose yourself, I am but mortal; would to Heaven
I were not. Would to Heaven I were one of those who could hover over
you, watch you in all your perils, save and protect you in this your
mad career; but I am but a poor weak woman, whose heart beats fondly,
devotedly for you--who, for you, would dare all and everything--who,
changed in her nature, has become courageous and daring from her love;
and who rejects all creeds which would prevent her from calling upon
heaven, or earth, or hell, to assist her in retaining with her her
soul's existence?"

"Nay! nay! Amine, say not you reject the creed. Does not this,"--and
Philip pulled from his bosom the holy relic, "does not this, and the
message sent by it, prove our creed is true?"

"I have thought much of it, Philip. At first it startled me almost
into a belief, but even your own priests helped to undeceive me. They
would not answer you; they would have left you to guide yourself; the
message and the holy word, and the wonderful signs given were not in
unison with their creed, and they halted. May I not halt, if they
did? The relic may be as mystic, as powerful as you describe; but
the agencies may be false and wicked, the power given to it may have
fallen into wrong hands--the power remains the same, but it is applied
to uses not intended."

"The power, Amine, can only be exercised by those who are friends to
Him who died upon it."

"Then is it no power at all; or if a power, not half so great as that
of the arch-fiend; for his can work for good and evil both. But on
this point, dear Philip, we do not well agree, nor can we convince
each other. You have been taught in one way, I another. That which
our childhood has imbibed, which has grown up with our growth, and
strengthened with our years, is not to be eradicated. I have seen my
mother work great charms, and succeed. You have knelt to priests: I
blame not you!--blame not then your Amine. We both mean well--I trust,
do well."

"If a life of innocence and purity were all that were required, my
Amine would be sure of future bliss."

"I think it is; and thinking so, it is my creed. There are many
creeds: who shall say which is the true one? And what matters it? they
all h