eed a daring man, to appear
again at Grinselhof after your uncle's insulting conduct to my father!
He is ill in bed; his soul is crushed by the outrage. Is this the reward
of all my affection for you?"

"Oh, God! oh, God! Lenora, do I hear _you_ accuse me? Alas! what have I
done, and what could I prevent?"

"There is nothing, sir, any longer, in common between us," said the
girl. "If we are not as rich as you, the blood that runs in our veins
cannot suffer by comparison. Arise! begone! I will see you no more!"

"Mercy! pity!" exclaimed Gustave, lifting his clasped hands toward her;
"mercy, Lenora, for I am innocent!"

The maiden dashed away the tears that began to start in her eyes, and,
turning her back on him, was about to depart.

"Cruel, cruel!" exclaimed Gustave, in broken tones. "Can you leave me
without a farewell?--without a word of consolation? Will you remain
insensible to my grief and deaf to my prayers? 'Tis well; I will submit
to my lot, for _you_ have decided it! You, Lenora, my love, have
sentenced me! I forgive you: be happy on earth without me, and farewell
forever!"

As he uttered those words his strength seemed utterly to fail him, and,
sinking into the chair which Lenora had quitted, his head and arms fell
lifeless on the table.

The determined girl had made a few steps in her retreat to the house,
when she suddenly halted on hearing the agonized tones of Gustave's
farewell and the sudden sound of his fall on the table. As she glanced
backward at the convulsed frame of her lover, a spasm that denoted the
violent conflict between duty and affection passed over her beautiful
face; and, as her heart appeared gradually to conquer in the fight, the
tears began to pour in showers from her eyes. Step by step and slowly
she retraced the path to the table, and leaning over the sufferer, took
one of his hands tenderly in hers:--

"Are we not wretched, Gustave? Are we not wretched?"

At the touch of that gentle hand and the sound of that beloved voice,
life seemed once more to stir in his veins, and, raising his eyes
languidly to hers, he gazed mournfully into them as he half said, half
sighed,--

"Lenora, dear Lenora, have you come back to me? Have you taken pity on
my agony? You do not _hate_ me, do you?" "Is a love like ours
extinguished in a day?" returned Leonora, with a sigh.

"Oh, no, no!" cried Gustave aloud; "it is eternal! Is it not eternal,
Lenora, and omnipotent against every ill as lo