aused, awaiting a word of encouragement, but the girl made no reply,
and he continued,--

"I was tempted to call and make inquiries at your father's house, but
you had forbidden me to speak of the accident, and I did not dare to
disobey you."

"I thank you sincerely," faltered Diana.

"Yesterday," the young man went on, "I passed the whole day here. Are
you angry with me for my stupidity? I had thought that perhaps you had
noticed my anxiety, and might have deigned to----"

He stopped short, terrified at his own audacity.

"Yesterday," returned Diana with the most ingenuous air in the world,
and not appearing to perceive the young man's embarrassment, "I was
detained at home by my mother."

"Yes," replied he, "for the past two days your form, lying senseless and
bleeding on the ground, has ever been before my eyes, for I felt as if I
were a murderer. I shall always see your pale, white face, and how,
when I raised up your head it rested on my arm for a moment, and all the
rapture--"

"You must not talk like that, Marquis," interrupted Diana, but she spoke
in such a low tone that Norbert did not hear her and went on,--

"When I saw you yesterday my feelings so overpowered me that I could not
put them into words; but as soon as you had left me, it appeared as if
all grew dark around me, and throwing myself on my knees, I searched
for the tiny leaden pellet that might have caused your death. I at last
found it, and no treasure upon earth will ever be more prized by me."

To avoid showing the gleam of joy that flashed from her eyes, Diana was
compelled to turn her head on one side.

"Forgive me, mademoiselle," said Norbert, in despair, as he noticed this
movement; "forgive me if I have offended you. Could you but know how
dreary my past life has been, you would pardon me. It seemed to me,
the very moment that I saw you, I had found a woman who would feel some
slight interest in me, and that for her sweet compassion I would devote
my whole life to her. But now I see how mad and foolish I have been, and
I am plunged into the depths 'of despair.'"

She accompanied these words with a glance sufficiently tender to restore
all Norbert's courage.

"Ah, mademoiselle," said he; "do not trifle with me, for that would be
too cruel."

She let her head droop on her bosom, and, falling upon his knees, he
poured a stream of impassioned kisses upon her hands. Diana felt herself
swept away by this stream of passion; she gasp