"Madeline--dearest Madeline!" said Walter, at length dropping on his knee; "you, whom while I was yet a boy, I so fondly, passionately loved;- -you, who yet are--who, while I live, ever will be, so inexpressibly dear to me--say but one word to me on this uncertain and dreadful epoch of our fate--say but one word to me--say you feel you are conscious that throughout these terrible events I have not been to blame--I have not willingly brought this affliction upon our house--least of all upon that heart which my own would have forfeited its best blood to preserve from the slightest evil;--or, if you will not do me this justice, say at least that you forgive me!" "I forgive you, Walter! I do you justice, my cousin!" replied Madeline, with energy; and raising herself on her arm. "It is long since I have felt how unreasonable it was to throw any blame upon you--the mere and passive instrument of fate. If I have forborne to see you, it was not from an angry feeling, but from a reluctant weakness. God bless and preserve you, my dear cousin! I know that your own heart has bled as profusely as ours; and it was but this day that I told my father, if we never met again, to express to you some kind message as a last memorial from me. Don't weep, Walter! It is a fearful thing to see men weep! It is only once that I have seen him weep,--that was long, long ago! He has no tears in the hour of dread and danger. But no matter, this is a bad world, Walter, and I am tired of it. Are not you? Why do you look so at me, Ellinor? I am not mad! Has she told you that I am, Walter? Don't believe her! Look at me! I am calm and collected! Yet to-morrow is--O God! O God!--if--if!--" Madeline covered her face with her hands, and became suddenly silent, though only for a short time; when she again lifted up her eyes, they encountered those of Walter; as through those blinding and agonised tears, which are only wrung from the grief of manhood, he gazed upon that face on which nothing of herself, save the divine and unearthly expression which had always characterised her loveliness, was left. "Yes, Walter, I am wearing fast away--fast beyond the power of chance! Thank God, who tempers the wind to the shorn lamb, if the worst happen, we cannot be divided long. Ere another Sabbath has passed, I may be with him in Paradise! What cause shall we then have for regret?" Ellinor flung herself on her sister's neck, sobbing violently.--"Yes, we shall regret you are not with us, Ellinor; but you will also soon grow tired of the world; it is a sad place--it is a wicked place--it is full of snares and pitfalls. In our walk to-day lies our destruction for to- morrow! You will find this soon, Ellinor! And you, and my father, and Walter, too, shall join us! Hark! the clock strikes! By this time to- morrow night, what triumph!--or to me at least (sinking her voice into a whisper, that thrilled through the very bones of her listeners) what peace!"