Elizabeth put her arm round his neck and kissed him. "Thank you," said Falkner, "and God bless you for this kindness. I shall indeed be glad if you, from your heart, pardon and excuse me. Meanwhile, my love, there is something to be done. These papers contain an account of the miserable past; you must read them, and then let Mr. Neville have them without delay." "Nay," said Elizabeth, "spare me this one thing--do not ask me to read the history of any one error of yours. In my eyes you must ever be the first and best of human beings--if it has ever been otherwise, I will not hear of it. You shall never be accused of guilt before me, even by yourself." "Call it, then, my justification," said Falkner. "But do not refuse my request--it is necessary. If it be pain, pardon me for inflicting it; but bear it for my sake--I wrote this narrative when I believed myself about to die in Greece, for the chief purpose of disclosing the truth to you. I have told my story truly and simply; you can have it from no one else, for no human being breathes who knows the truth except myself. Yield, then--you have ever been yielding to me--yield, I beseech you, to my solemn request; do not shrink from hearing of my crimes--I hope soon to atone them. And then perform one other duty: send these papers to your friend--you know where he is." "He will call here this evening at nine." "By that time you will have finished; I am going to town now, but shall return to-night. Mr. Neville will be come and gone before then, and you will know all. I do not doubt but that you will pity me--such is your generosity, that perhaps you may love me still--but you will be shocked and wretched, and I the cause. Alas! how many weapons do our errors wield, and how surely does retribution aim at our defenceless side! To know that I am the cause of unhappiness to you, my sweet girl, inflicts a pang I cannot endure with any fortitude. But there is a remedy, and all will be well in the end." Elizabeth hung over him as he spoke, and he felt a tear warm on his cheek, fallen from her eye--he was subdued by this testimony of her sympathy--he strained her to his heart; but, in a moment after, he reassumed his self-command, and, kissing her, bade her farewell, and then left her to the task of sorrow he had assigned.