Hugh could not discourage her, though he doubted whether a real
communication could be established between them.
“I will write down his address for you, when I go in,” said he. “But what
can he save you from?”
“From no God,” she answered, solemnly. “If there is no God, then I am sure
that there is a devil, and that he has got me in his power.”
Hugh felt her shudder, for she was leaning on his arm, she was still so
lame. She continued:
“Oh! if I had a God, he would right me, I know.”
Hugh could not reply. A pause followed.
“Good-bye. I feel pretty sure we shall meet again. My presentiments are
generally true,” said Euphra, at length.
Hugh kissed her hand with far more real devotion than he had ever kissed
it with before.
She left him, and hastened to the house ‘with feeble speed.’ He was sorry
she was gone. He walked up and down for some time, meditating on the
strange girl and her strange words; till, hearing the dinner bell, he too
must hasten in to dress.
Euphra met him at the dinner-table without any change of her late manner.
Mr. Arnold wished him good night more kindly than usual. When he went up
to his room, he found that Harry had already cried himself to sleep.
CHAPTER XXXII. DEPARTURE.
I fancy deemed fit guide to lead my way,
And as I deemed I did pursue her track;
Wit lost his aim, and will was fancy’s prey;
The rebel won, the ruler went to wrack.
But now sith fancy did with folly end,
Wit, bought with loss—will, taught by wit, will mend.
SOUTHWELL.—David’s Peccavi.
After dinner, Hugh wandered over the well-known places, to bid them
good-bye. Then he went up to his room, and, with the vanity of a young
author, took his poems out of the fatal old desk; wrote: “Take them,
please, such as they are. Let me be your friend;” inclosed them with the
writing, and addressed them to Euphra. By the time he saw them again, they
were so much waste paper in his eyes.
But what were his plans for the future?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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