ed the same offer."

"Him?--of whom speak you?--this Barnard, or rather--but I know him!" A
startling expression passed over Isora's speaking face.

"Know him!" she cried, interrupting me, "you do not,--you cannot!"

"Take courage, dearest Isora,--if I may so dare to call you,--take
courage: it is fearful to have a rival in that quarter; but I am
prepared for it. This Barnard, tell me again, do you love him?"

"Love--O God, no!"

"What then? do you still fear him?--fear him, too, protected by the
unsleeping eye and the vigilant hand of a love like mine?"

"Yes!" she said falteringly, "I fear for _you_!"

"Me!" I cried, laughing scornfully, "me! nay, dearest, there breathes
not that man whom you need fear on _my_ account. But, answer me; is
not--"

"For Heaven's sake, for mercy's sake!" cried Isora, eagerly, "do not
question me; I may not tell you who, or what this man is; I am bound, by
a most solemn oath, never to divulge that secret."

"I care not," said I, calmly, "I want no confirmation of my knowledge:
this masked rival is my own brother!"

I fixed my eyes full on Isora while I said this, and she quailed beneath
my gaze: her cheek, her lips, were utterly without colour, and an
expression of sickening and keen anguish was graven upon her face. She
made no answer.

"Yes!" resumed I, bitterly, "it is my brother,--be it so,--I am
prepared; but if you can, Isora, say one word to deny it."

Isora's tongue seemed literally to cleave to her mouth; at last with a
violent effort, she muttered, "I have told you, Morton, that I am bound
by oath not to divulge this secret; nor may I breathe a single syllable
calculated to do so,--if I deny one name, you may question me on
more,--and, therefore, to deny one is a breach of my oath. But, beware!"
she added vehemently, "oh! beware how your suspicions--mere vague,
baseless suspicions--criminate a brother; and, above all, whomsoever
you believe to be the real being under this disguised name, as you value
your life, and therefore mine,--breathe not to him a syllable of your
belief."

I was so struck with the energy with which this was said, that, after a
short pause, I rejoined, in an altered tone,--

"I cannot believe that I have aught against life to fear from a
brother's hand; but I will promise you to guard against latent danger.
But is your oath so peremptory that you cannot deny even one name?--if
not, and you _can_ deny this, I swear to you that I will never qu