Birds yet in freedom shun the net Which love around your haunts hath set; Or, circled by his fatal fire, Your hearts shall burn, your hope expire. Who ne’er has loved, and loved in vain, Can neither feel nor pity pain. The cold repulse, the look askance, The lightning of Love’s angry glance. My curdling blood, my maddening brain, In silent anguish I sustain; And still thy heart, without partaking One pang, exults, while mine is breaking. Pour me the poison; fear not thou! Thou canst not murder more than now; I’ve lived to curse my natal day, And love, that thus can lingering slay! She stopped with a sob, and flung her arms about Sir Harold’s neck, a passion of tears raining from her eyes. “Poor little Theresa,” he said, tenderly; “but how foolish you are to give way to such fears. Am I not near you--shall I not be ever near to protect you?” With a long, fluttering sigh, she nestled her head upon his shoulder and was content. CHAPTER XVIII. SIR HAROLD’S WALK TO FARNWELL. “Sir Harold,” Mr. Hamilton said, a day or two later, “I have engaged a woman-servant to live in the house. She is old and deaf, and will notice nothing in particular if we simply call you Mr. Harold. I have known her for some years in connection with the laundry work, and as her husband is lately dead, she is very glad of a home. Now that it is settled that Theresa is to be your wife, we must take better care of her.” “I am glad that you have mentioned this, Mr. Hamilton,” Sir Harold replied, “because I want to talk with you about our future. This idle life is growing a little tiresome, and I should like to travel. Theresa loves me, and relies upon me so much, that I do not see why the wedding should be long delayed.” “She is very young yet,” faltered Hamilton. “Nineteen--is she not? And I am nearly thirty, though I have the feelings of a boy,” laughed Sir Harold. “As the autumn will soon be upon us, I intend asking your consent to an early marriage, so that the winter may be spent in Nice, or some similar place. Of course, you would accompany us if you chose to do so, but I do not anticipate returning to England until I can take possession of that which is mine with unimpaired faculties.”