e, and of course she knew the motive of
his journey to Scotland. "Dearest Lady Eustace," he said suddenly,
"may I be allowed to renew the petition which I was once bold enough
to make to you in London?"

"Petition!" exclaimed Lizzie.

"Ah yes; I can well understand that your indifference should enable
you to forget it. Lady Eustace, I did venture to tell you--that--I
loved you."

"Mr. Emilius, so many men have told me that."

"I can well believe it. Some have told you so, perhaps, from base,
mercenary motives."

"You are very complimentary, sir."

"I shall never pay you any compliments, Lady Eustace. Whatever may
be our future intercourse in life, you will only hear words of truth
from my lips. Some have told you so from mercenary motives."--Mr.
Emilius repeated the words with severity, and then paused to hear
whether she would dare to argue with him. As she was silent, he
changed his voice, and went on with that sweet, oily tone which had
made his fortune for him.--"Some, no doubt, have spoken from the
inner depths of their hearts. But none, Lady Eustace, have spoken
with such adamantine truth, with so intense an anxiety, with so
personal a solicitude for your welfare in this world and the next, as
that,--or I should rather say those,--which glow within this bosom."
Lizzie was certainly pleased by the manner in which he addressed her.
She thought that a man ought to dare to speak out, and that on such
an occasion as this he should venture to do so with some enthusiasm
and some poetry. She considered that men generally were afraid of
expressing themselves, and were as dumb as dogs from the want of
becoming spirit. Mr. Emilius gesticulated, and struck his breast, and
brought out his words as though he meant them.

"It is easy to say all that, Mr. Emilius," she replied.

"The saying of it is hard enough, Lady Eustace. You can never know
how hard it is to speak from a full heart. But to feel it, I will not
say is easy;--only to me, not to feel it is impossible. Lady Eustace,
my heart is devoted to your heart, and seeks its comrade. It is sick
with love and will not be stayed. It forces from me words,--words
which will return upon me with all the bitterness of gall, if they be
not accepted by you as faithful, ay and of great value."

"I know well the value of such a heart as yours, Mr. Emilius."

"Accept it then, dearest one."

"Love will not always go by command, Mr. Emilius."

"No indeed;--nor at command w