heart break I must be
firm. 'Tis I that am the man, 'tis I that am the priest. You and I must
meet no more, till I am schooled by solitude, and thou art wedded to
another."

"I consent to my doom but not to thine. I would ten times liever die;
yet I will marry, ay, wed misery itself sooner than let thee lie in
this foul dismal place, with yon sweet manse awaiting for thee." Clement
groaned; at each word she spoke out stood clearer and clearer two
things--his duty, and the agony it must cost.

"My beloved," said he, with a strange mixture of tenderness and dogged
resolution, "I bless thee for giving me one more sight of thy sweet
face, and may God forgive thee, and bless thee, for destroying in a
minute the holy peace it hath taken six months of solitude to build. No
matter. A year of penance will, Dei gratia, restore me to my calm. My
poor Margaret, I seem cruel: yet I am kind: 'tis best we part; ay, this
moment."

"Part, Gerard? Never: we have seen what comes of parting. Part? Why, you
have not heard half my story; no, nor the tithe, 'Tis not for thy mere
comfort I take thee to Gouda manse. Hear me!"

"I may not. Thy very voice is a temptation with its music, memory's
delight."

"But I say you shall hear me, Gerard, for forth this place I go not
unheard."

"Then must we part by other means," said Clement sadly.

"Alack! what other means? Wouldst put me to thine own door, being the
stronger?"

"Nay, Margaret, well thou knowest I would suffer many deaths rather than
put force on thee; thy sweet body is dearer to me than my own; but a
million times dearer to me are our immortal souls, both thine and mine.
I have withstood this direst temptation of all long enow. Now I must fly
it: farewell! farewell!"

He made to the door, and had actually opened it and got half out, when
she darted after and caught him by the arm.

"Nay, then another must speak for me. I thought to reward thee for
yielding to me; but unkind that thou art, I need his help I find; turn
then this way one moment."

"Nay, nay."

"But I say ay! And then turn thy back on us an thou canst." She somewhat
relaxed her grasp, thinking he would never deny her so small a favour.
But at this he saw his opportunity and seized it.

"Fly, Clement, fly!" he almost shrieked; and his religious enthusiasm
giving him for a moment his old strength, he burst wildly away from her,
and after a few steps bounded over the little stream and ran beside it,
but find