"Never, by heaven! (cried Edwin, thrown entirely off his guard by the tender confusion and agitation of Madeline:) you shall take no vows but such as love and nature dictate. I would perish a thousand times,--lose a thousand lives to preserve you from a fate that would not only make you wretched, but me for ever miserable.--Roseline has long known that you are dear to my heart. Say,--ease me of the torturing suspense I this moment feel,--do you not find an advocate in your bosom that will plead my cause?" Madeline trembled violently; her eyes were bent to the ground: She would have fallen, had not Roseline flown to support her. She attempted to speak, but the words died away inarticulately. "I see how it is, (cried Edwin impassionately;) the happy De Willows has gained by his attentions what I have lost by disgusting you with mine: you hate, you despise me. I will solicit my father to let me join the army: I will for ever remove this detested object from your sight, and pray that the portion of happiness I have lost may be redoubled to you." Madeline, alarmed by the energy of this speech, was instantly roused from the languor into which she had sunk. "I hate no one, (said she softly;) but Edwin, you forget it would be a crime in me to love. If, indeed, that had not been the case,--if I were at liberty----" "You would bless the happy De Willows with your hand." "Never!--De Willows I regard as a friend: as any thing more I never did,--never could think of him. I am you know banished from all intercourse with the world;--my sentence has been long pronounced; from that sentence there can be no appeal. Would to heaven I had submitted to it, and never quitted the retreat to which parental authority consigned me! At this painful moment my own feelings inflict my punishment." "Then you do not hate me? (cried Edwin, taking her hand.)--Only say I am not quite indifferent to you, and I will endeavour to rest satisfied, and ask no more; trusting that time may do much in my favour; but, if you attempt to deprive me of all hope,--if you deny me this innocent gratification, I will go to the wars." "Ah! why will you press me to discover what it would be better to conceal?--why will you tempt me to swerve from my duty to my God and my parents, and make me a perjured, and unworthy sacrifice?--You have, I fear, taught my heart a lesson it ought never to have learned: but it must be the hard task of my future life to atone for the crime I have committed in having suffered a mortal to rival that God, who alone should have occupied all my thoughts and wishes." Edwin threw himself at the feet of Madeline. His raptures were now as unbounded as the conflict had been severe; and not till she sunk fainting into the arms of her friend, could he be persuaded to quit their apartment.