light was burning in Sara's chamber far into the night. She was busied
for a long time with her journal; she wrote with a flying but unsteady
hand.

"So, to-morrow; to-morrow all will be said, and I----shall be bound.

"I know that is but of little importance, and yet I have such a horror
of it! Oh, the power of custom and of form.

"I know very well whom I could love; there is a purity in his glance, a
powerful purity which penetrates me. But how would he look on me if he
saw----

"I must go! I have no choice left! S. has me in his net--the money which
I have borrowed from him binds me so fast!--for I cannot bear that they
should know it, and despise me. I know that they would impoverish
themselves in order to release me, but I will not so humiliate myself.

"And why do I speak of release? I go hence to a life of freedom and
honour. I bow myself under the yoke but for a moment, only in order to
exalt myself the more proudly. Now there is no more time to tremble and
to waver--away with these tears! And thou, Volney, proud, strong
thinker, stand by me! Teach me, when all others turn away, how I may
rely on my own strength!"

Sara now exchanged the pen for the book, and the hour of midnight struck
before she closed it, and arose tranquil and cold in order to seek the
quiet of sleep.

* * * * *

The earthquake of which Henrik had spoken came the next day, the signal
of which was a letter from Schwartz to the Judge, in which he solicited
the hand of Sara. His only wealth was his profession; but with this
alone he was convinced that his wife would want nothing: he was just
about to undertake a journey through Europe, and wished to be
accompanied by Sara, of whose consent and acquiescence he was quite
sure.

A certain degree of self-appreciation in a man was not at any time
displeasing to Judge Frank, but this letter breathed a supercilious
assurance, a professional arrogance, which were extremely repugnant to
him. Besides this, he was wounded by the tone of pretension in which
Schwartz spoke of one who was as dear to him as his own daughter; and
the thought of her being united to a man of Schwartz's character was
intolerable to him. He was almost persuaded that Sara did not love him,
and burned with impatience to repel his pretensions, and to remove him
at the same time from his house.

Elise agreed perfectly in the opinion of her husband, but was less
confident than he regarding