That was the thorn that stuck fast in her woman's bosom. She
could never again look into those deep, thoughtful eyes; never again
feel the pressure of that strong, manly arm; never hear the poetry of
that rich voice as she had heard it when he poured words of love and
truth into her ear. Bertram had many faults, and while he belonged to
her, she had thought of them often enough; but he had many virtues
also, and now she could think but of them.

She had said that he was gone, gone for ever. It was easy enough to
say that with composed voice to Miss Baker. There is nothing so easy
as bravado. The wretch who is to be hung can step lightly while
multitudes are looking at him. The woman who is about to give up all
that her heart most values can declare out loud that the matter is
very indifferent to her. But when the victim of the law is lying
in his solitary cell, thinking on his doom, the morning before the
executioner comes to him; when the poor girl is sitting alone on
her bedside, with her heart all empty,--or rather not empty, only
hopeless; it is very difficult then to maintain a spirit of bravado!

Caroline Waddington did try it. She had often said to herself, in
months now some time past, that she repented of her engagement. If
so, now was the time to congratulate herself that she was free from
it. But she could not congratulate herself. While he had entirely
belonged to her, she had not known how thoroughly she had loved him.
When she had only thought of parting with him, she had believed that
it would be easy. But now she found that it was not so easy. It was
about as easy for her to pluck his image from her heart as to draw
one of her limbs from the socket.

But the limb had to be drawn from the socket. There was no longer any
hope that it could be saved. Nay, it had been already given up as far
as the expression of the will was concerned, and there was nothing
left but to bear the pain.

So she sat down and began to draw out the limb. Oh, my sensitive
reader! have you ever performed the process? It is by no means to be
done with rose-water appliances and gentle motherly pressure. The
whole force of the hospital has to be brought out to perform this
operation.

She now discovered, perhaps, for the first time, that she had a
strong beating heart, and that she loved this violent capricious man
with every strong pulse of it. There was more about him now that was
lovable by such a woman as Caroline Waddington