ck act to me at any rate!"

Across the road, before her, ran one of those little deep valleys, or
large ravines, and into this had the horseman disappeared as she closed
the soliloquy. He had not, however, at all slackened his pace, but, on
the contrary, evidently increased it, as she could hear by the noise of
his horse's feet. At this moment she reached the brow of the ravine, and
our readers may form some conception of what she felt when, on looking
down it she saw her lover, young Dalton, toiling up towards her with
feeble and failing steps, while pressing after him from the bottom, came
young Henderson, urging his horse with whip and spur. Her heart,
which had that moment bounded with delight, now utterly failed her, on
perceiving the little chance which the poor young man had of being the
first to meet her, and thus fulfill the prophecy. Henderson was gaining
upon him at a rapid rate, and must in a few minutes have passed him,
had not woman's wit and presence of mind come to her assistance. "If
he cannot run up the hill," she said to herself, "I can run to him down
it"--and as the thought occurred to her, she started towards him at her
greatest speed, which indeed was considerable, as her form was of that
light and elastic description which betokens great powers of activity
and exertion. The struggle indeed was close; Henderson now plied whip
and spur with redoubled energy, and the animal was approaching at full
speed. Mave, on the other hand, urged by a thousand motives, forgot
everything but the necessity of exertion. Dalton was incapable of
running a step, and appeared not to know the cause of the contest
between the parties. At length Mave, by her singular activity and speed
reached her lover, into whose arms she actually ran, just as Henderson
had come within about half a dozen yards of the spot where she met him.
This effort, on the part of Mave, was in perfect accordance with the
simple earnestness of her character; her youthful figure, her innocence
of manner, the glow of beauty, and the crowd of blushing graces which
the act developed, together with the joyous exultation of her triumph
on reaching her lover's arms, and thus securing to herself and him
completion of so delightful a prediction--all, when taken in at one
view, rendered her being so irresistibly fascinating, that her lover
could scarcely look upon the incident as a real one, but for a moment
almost persuaded himself that his beloved Mave had u