to_ Claudia's _arms_.)

CLAUDIA.

Speak, my daughter, and remove my fears. What evil can have happened to
you in so holy a place?

EMILIA.

Never should my devotion have been more fervent and sincere than on
this day. Never was it less what it ought to have been.

CLAUDIA.

Emilia we are all human. The faculty of praying fervently is not always
in our power; but, in the eye of Heaven, the wish to pray is accepted
as prayer.

EMILIA.

And our wish to sin as sin.

CLAUDIA.

That my Emilia never wished.

EMILIA.

No, my mother. The grace of Heaven has preserved me from falling so
low. But, alas! that the vice of others should render us accomplices in
vice against our will!

CLAUDIA.

Compose yourself.--Collect your thoughts as well as you can. Tell me at
once what has happened to you.

EMILIA.

I had just sunk upon my knees, further from the altar than usual--for I
arrived too late. I had just begun to raise my thoughts towards
Heaven--when some person placed himself behind me--so close behind me!
I could neither move forwards nor aside, however much I desired it, in
my fear lest the devotion of my neighbour might interrupt my prayers.
Devotion was the worst thing which I suspected. But it was not long
before I heard a deep sigh close to my ear, and not the name of a
saint;--no--the name--do not be angry, dear mother--the name of your
daughter.--My own name! Oh, that a peal of thunder had at that
moment made me deaf to the rest. The voice spoke of beauty and of
love--complained that this day, which crowned my happiness (if such
should prove the case) sealed his misery for ever. He conjured me--all
this I was obliged to hear, but I did not look round. I wished to seem
as if I was not listening. What more could I do? Nothing but pray that
my guardian angel would strike me with deafness--even with eternal
deafness. This was my prayer--the only prayer which I could utter. At
length it was time to rise; the service came to an end. I trembled at
the idea of being obliged to turn round--trembled at the idea of
beholding him whose impiety had so much shocked me--and when I
turned--when I beheld him----

CLAUDIA.

Whom, my d