"Olivia was very wrong," she said; "she must have known that _I_ should never have consented to such an alternative." "She only knew, or thought at least, that you loved me; and therefore, as with all her faults, she has a warm heart; she could not probably conceive such coldness in your love, Mary." The tears rose to Mary's eyes. "Coldness!" she repeated. "Oh, Eugene! how can you apply such a term to my affection?--coldness in rejecting an expedient which I should think the most extreme, and peculiar circumstances alone could justify." "To what kind of circumstances do you allude, Mary?" Eugene inquired anxiously, and with recovered tenderness of tone, and manner. "Nothing fortunately, dear Eugene, which can in any manner apply to our case; we who have only need of a little patience for our path to be clear and plain before us. This year over, and if all goes right, you will not, I think, accuse me any more of having acted coldly in this respect." "No, Mary, as you say--_if_ all goes right, it will be as well; but supposing that at the end of this year--for, remember that time was specified quite at random, and because I had no heart to name a longer period--supposing that the existing obstacle was unremoved, and that another, and another, and another year were to pass before it were possible we could be openly united--" "Oh, Eugene!" interposed poor Mary, turning very pale; "and is this really likely to be the case?" "I did not say it was likely--but it is possible--and suppose it so to be?" He paused for her reply, and still she answered faintly: "Oh, then, Eugene, the trial would be great, yet we must still trust in God, and abide patiently his good time and pleasure." "Mary," interrupted Eugene, almost passionately, "your patience indeed exceeds all bounds," and he turned petulantly away. Poor Mary was cut to the heart by this first manifestation of anything, but the most tender approval on Trevor's part; she exclaimed: "Oh, Eugene! what would you have me to do?" and the tempter was determined not to throw away the advantage he had thus far gained. His present object, as may be supposed, was not to have any immediate recourse to the expedient he was advancing, but rather to smooth the way, in case of further exigency. For again with Mary--once more looking on her sweet face--listening to her gentle voice, and feeling the magic charm her guileless excellency never failed to exercise over him, he was as much in love as ever, and determined, whatever might happen, never to be foiled in his endeavours to possess a treasure, whose price he felt, would indeed be "far above rubies." Nay, he even began to think that he had perhaps been too easily turned from his original design, and was almost ready to accuse himself of weakness and cowardice; therefore to Mary's question, he replied still somewhat coldly.