The lady gently raised her child, took her in her arms and tenderly
caressed her, murmuring, softly:

"No, my own! hearts never break, or one heart, I know, must have broken
long ago. Besides," she added, in a firmer tone, "honor must be saved,
though hearts be sacrificed."

"'Honor,' mother dear? I do not understand. I do not see what honor has to
do with it. Or if it has, I should think that honor would be better saved
by my keeping faith with Le than by breaking with him! Oh, mother! mother!
it will kill me!" moaned Odalite.

"My child, my dear girl, hear me! Listen to reason! Leonidas Force has no
claim to be remembered by you. You have never been engaged to him. You
were but a little girl of thirteen when he went to sea on his first
voyage, three years ago, and you have not seen him since. What possible
claim can he have upon you, since no betrothal exists between you?" gently
questioned the lady, tenderly running her fair fingers through the dark
tresses of the young head that leaned upon her bosom.

"Oh, mother," replied the girl, with a heavy sigh, "I know that there was
no formal betrothal between Le and myself--but--but--we all knew, you and
father and Le and I--all knew--and always knew that we two belonged to
each other and would always belong to each other all our lives. Le and I
never thought of any other fate."

"Idle, childish fancies, my poor little girl! too trivial to cause you
these tears. Wipe them away, and look clearly at the higher destiny, more
worthy of your birth and beauty," murmured the lady, pressing her ripe,
red lips upon the pale brow of her darling.

"Oh, mother, I do not _want_ a higher destiny! I do not want _any_ destiny
apart from Le. And these are _not_ childish fancies, and _not_ trivial to
me! Oh, think, mother, Le and I were playmates as far back in my life as I
can remember. We loved each other better than we loved any one else in the
whole world. You and father used to laugh at us and pretend to be jealous;
but we saw that you were pleased all the time; for you both intended us
for each other, and we knew it, too, for father used to say when he saw
how inseparable we two were: 'So much the better; I hope their hearts will
not be estranged when they grow up!' And our hearts have never become
estranged from each other!"

"Oh, yes, dearest, I know that there was some speculative talk when you
were children of uniting you and Leonidas, so that the name of Force might
not di