OCR Text |
Show 390 RlCHAHD 11UUDIS. you have taken this pnrt, );_:.dw:ucl; if you can prove to him that you have taken this part-" She paused. 'l'hc criro inal shrunk from her while sl1c spoke, an(l covered his face with h is hands, wh ile he murmured honrsely, nnd in bitter, broken accents- " I have not. I have seen him robbed of his little wealth; I k wc seen }Jim stricken dow11 by the uncxpcctc<l blow; and I have not l ifted voice or weapon in his dl'fencc. Basely have I witnessed the deeds of baseness, and fittingly base should be my punishment. .And yet, Jul ia, I could say that- will you hear me 1" he demanded, seeing that she turned away. "Speak, speak," she murmured faintly. "Yes, Julia, I have that to say which would go far to make you forget and forgive my weakness-my crime." " Alas ! Edward, I fear not. '!'here is nothing-" "Nothing! nay, Julia, you care not to hear my defence! you arc indiffercut whether I live or die-whether they prove me guilty or innocent of crime !" said he, with a bitter manner of reproach. She answered with a heart·toucl1iug meeknscs: "Aml yet I come even now to save yonr life. I throw aside the fears and delicacy of my sex-I seck you at midnigllt, Edward-I seek yon but to save. Does tlds argue indiffm·· once 1" " 'l'o stwc my life! Oh, Julia, bethink you for a moment what a precious boon this is to one of wl10m you rob everything which made life dear, nt t1JC very moment when you profess to save it. T his is a mockery-a sad, a cruel mockery ! Let them take the life, if they will: you will see l10w that boon is valued Uy me, to which you offer to prove that you nrc not in· different. Ybu will see how reailily I can surrender the life which the withdrawal of yonr love has beggared-which the denial of your esteem has em Littered for ever!" "Ah, Edward, speak not thus ! ' Vherefore would you force me to say that my love is not to be denied nor my e!:iteem withM 110lcl, by a will, or in an instant 1" " And you do !:itill love- you will promise, Julia, to esteem me yet- " " No ! I will promise nothing, Edwanl-nothing. I will strive only to forget you ; and though I promise not myself to ANOTHER VICTBL 3Gl be successful in the effort, duty requires that it shouhl yet be made. Go, now. Let us part, ancl for ever! :My fatl1cr and l1~s guest~ are all gone; there is none to interrupt you in your fhg:l~t. .:E ly- fl~ far, Edward, I pray you. Let us not meet o.gam, smce ~~otl11.ng but 11ain could come from such a meeting." "But, J ~11 1a, wtll y_ou not promise me that if I can acquit myM self wor th1ly, you w1ll once more 1·eceive me 1" " I can not. My father's will must determine mine, Edward; since it is to his judgment only that I can 1·cfer, to detcrmitlc what is worthy in the sigl1t of men and what is not. \V ere I to yield to my affections this deci!:iion, I sl1ould, perhnps, care nothing for your offences; I should deem you no offender; and Love would blindly worship at an altar from which Truth would turn away in sorrow and reproach. Urge me not further, EdM ward, on this painful subject. Solemnly I clcclare to you, that, under no circumstances henceforwnnl, can I know you, unles1:1 by permission of my father." Eberly strode away, with a spasmodic effort, to another part of the chamber. His emotions left him speechless for a while. \Vhen he returned to her, his mticulation was still imperfect; and it was only by great resolution that he made himself intel-ligible at last: - " I will vex you no more. I will be to yon, Julia, nothing-even as yon wish. I will leave you; aml when next you hear of me, you will weep, bitterly weep ; not, perhaps, that you l1ave sent me fl·om you in scorn, but that I was not wholly worthy of that love which you were once happy to bestow upon me." He passed her as l1e spoke these words, ancl, before she could fix any one of the flitting and confused fancies in her mind, he had left the apartment, and her ear could readily distinguish l1 is footsteps, as, without any of the precautions of the fugitive, trembling for his l ife, he deliberately descended the stairs. She graspml the post of the door, and h nng on it for support. ller strength, which had sustained her throughout the interview, wns about to leave her. When sl1e ceased to hear his retreating steps, she recovered herself sufficiently to reach her chamber ; where, after locking carefully her door , she threw herself, ::almost without life, npon her bed, and gave vent to those emotions which now, from long restraint, like the aecumulated torrents |