ed to have lost his usual self-control.
"Oh," said he, "this might have been spared me; I have not deserved this
punishment. Emma, hear me. As I hope for future happiness I am
innocent; I am--I am, indeed--" and he fell senseless on the pavement.

Mr Small raised him up and put him on the bed; after a time he revived,
and remained where he had been laid, sobbing convulsively.

As soon as he became more composed, Emma, who had been sitting by him,
the tears coursing each other down her pale cheeks, addressed him in a
calm voice.

"I feel--I am sure that you are innocent, or I should not have been
here."

"Bless you for that, Emma, bless you; those few words of yours have
given me more consolation than you can imagine. Is it nothing to be
treated as a felon, to be disgraced, to be banished to a distant
country, and that at the very time that I was full of happiness,
prosperous, and anticipating?--but I cannot dwell upon that. Is it not
hard to bear, Emma? and what could support me, but the consciousness of
my own innocence, and the assurance that she whom I love so, and whom I
now lose for ever, still believes me so? Yes, it is a balm; a
consolation; and I will now submit to the will of Heaven."

Emma burst into tears, leaning her face on our hero's shoulder. After a
time she replied, "And am I not to be pitied? Is it nothing to love
tenderly, devotedly, madly--to have given my heart, my whole thoughts,
my existence to one object--why should I conceal it now?--to have been
dwelling upon visions of futurity so pleasing, so delightful, all
passing away as a dream, and leaving a sad reality like this? Make me
one promise; you will not refuse Emma--who knelt by your side when you
first met her, she who is kneeling before you now?"

"I dare not, Emma, for my heart tells me that you would propose a step
which must not be--you must leave me now, and for ever."

"For ever! for ever!" cried Emma springing on her feet. "No! no! uncle,
he says I am to leave him for ever? Who is that?" continued the frantic
girl. "Mary! yes 'tis! Mary, he says I must leave him for ever!" (It
was Mary who had just come into the cell.) "Must I, Mary?"

"No--no!" replied Mary, "not so! he is saved, and his innocence is
established; he is yours for ever!"

We shall not attempt to describe the scene we could not do justice to.
We must allow the day to pass away; during which Emma and our hero,
McShane and Mary, were sitting together