“And mine also is a virgin heart; beyond a general kindliness of feeling towards _all_ women, I have never loved before. Oh! Sophie, are _we_ not betrothed by God himself? Break through this other engagement forced upon you by circumstances, and give me your hand. Let us marry _this evening_, Sophie, and let me leave you with my sister until I come back—my own dear Sophie, _do this_. I would not for my soul’s salvation do anything or advise you to anything wrong, but indeed, my Sophie, I feel such a _right_ to you, such a _claim_ upon you, such a _property_ in you, that I should feel myself wronged and ruined by any one who should wrest you from me.” She gazed unconsciously, entranced, up to his pure clear brow—to her it seemed the brow of an angel, and into his beautiful eyes, full of earnest strength, half pleading, half commanding, fixed upon her own. With an hysterical gasp and sob she fell forward; he caught her, strained her to his bosom. Her form was convulsed with emotion, her breast heaved strongly, heavily, and then her tears broke forth in floods; she wept abundantly upon his bosom. At last her emotion subsided. As the rain expends the clouds, clears the atmosphere, and refreshes the face of nature, so do tears relieve the heart, clear the brain, and renovate the system. Sophie’s emotion subsided, and then she quietly rose and said, “There, Gusty, it is over. Oh, my dear brother—_my brother_, let us be calmly wise. We may meet in heaven, but here, upon this earth below, we must never meet again, Gusty; we must never see each other’s face—hear each other’s voice again.” Here they were interrupted by the entrance of Emily, who came to tell Sophie that Mrs. Green was preparing to go. Sophie extended her hand to Augustus, who caught and pressed it to his lips. Then she re-entered the house. “No more of that, Augustus,” said Emily, “you must think of her no more; she is to be married in nine days to Mr. Withers.” The young man turned around hastily, and, with the occasional impetuosity of his nature, replied, “Think of her no more! Confound you, Emily! you talk as lightly, as composedly, of thinking of her no more, as though you spoke of a new coat—a visit. ‘Think of her no more!’ why, in the name of Heaven, did you throw us together—tell me that?” “Why? because I wished you to love and marry. Alas! I did not know, though it was rumored in the neighborhood, that Withers seriously thought of her, and could not have believed that they were engaged.” The young man groaned. “You will get over this when you are once more at sea. Come, Gusty, get up our horses, we must return home.”