Then it was not merely a wild dream," he exclaimed painfully. "How
could I so forget myself! Never shall I forgive myself this error!"

He paced up and down the room with vehemence for a time, and then
paused before the fair sleeper.

"The sin is beautiful which has seduced me from the right path; but
that does not excuse a man from whom principles are to be expected, and
who has taken upon himself important duties. Poor Althea! is this the
reward of your love and truth? I never could have believed that to be
possible which now rises to my revolted senses in disgusting reality.
Ah! let no one boast of his virtue! It is often the prey of the most
involuntary accident!--Of _accident_?--Was indeed all that happened to
me yesterday no more than accident? I can answer for myself--my soul
was pure when I entered this house; and not till I was allured by the
siren's song, and the voluptuous spirits of the wine had painted her
fair form in glowing colours, not till then was the evil passion
kindled in me. Could a few glasses have changed me so much? Could they
have lighted up the wild glow that raged in my veins, and the dregs of
which still lie heavy on my head and heart? The advances too of the
stranger and her feigned sickness, which tightened the noose about my
neck,--at the bottom of all this is some secret plan which I must
unravel."

He left the room quickly, and soon returned with horror in his looks,
and in his hands two half-full goblets, which he placed on the table by
the bed, and had already raised his arm to wake the sleeper. At this
moment the first sunbeams flamed through the darkness of the green
curtains, and cast a warm glow upon her lovely features. Bona opened
her eyes, which immediately sought and found her beloved, and rested
upon him with bewitching tenderness; but she soon perceived the cold
disdain that flashed from his, and she started up from the bed in
terror.

"For heaven's sake," she exclaimed, "what has happened to you? What do
you mean by these fierce looks?"

"To ask you how we so soon became familiar with each other--how you so
soon succeeded in seducing an honourable knight into disgraceful
infidelity towards the mistress of his heart."

"This is a common injustice of you men to lay on the weaker sex the
blame of the evil caused by your sensuality, that you may afterwards
despise your victim, and so have a pretence for denying all
satisfaction."

"You are right, but it does not apply