"Art thou," cried he, with a voice, by the depth and wildness of whose tones I was involuntarily agitated,--"art thou then thyself free from sin, that thou venturest, like the most pure--nay, like the Divinity whom thou blasphemest, to look into the secrets of my bosom?--Thou, forsooth, would'st promise me forgiveness--thou, who for thyself wilt vainly strive for pardon, and against whom the regions of the blest are for ever closed!--Miserable hypocrite! soon will the hour of retribution be at hand, and trodden into the dust like a poisonous reptile, shalt thou writhe in misery and death, struggling in vain for aid and release from thy nameless torment, till thou perishest in madness and despair!" Hereupon he turned round, and quickly disappeared. I had no power to detain him--I was, indeed, utterly crushed and annihilated. All my composure and courage had fled, and I saw no means by which confidence and safety could again be recovered. * * * * * At length I observed the Baroness coming out of the castle, dressed as if for a walk. With her only, in this difficulty, could I hope to find assistance or consolation. I hastened, therefore, to meet her. At first she seemed terrified at my disordered appearance--inquired after the cause of it; and I described to her the whole scene which I had just now encountered with the insane Hermogen, expressing also my terror and apprehension, lest he might, perhaps, by some inexplicable chance, have got possession of, and might betray, our secret intercourse. By all this Euphemia did not appear in the least moved. On the contrary, she smiled with an expression of irony and malice so extraordinary, that I was seized with involuntary horror. "Let us go deeper into the park," said she, "for here we might be observed, and it might be deemed mysterious if the reverend Father Medardus were to speak to me with such vehemence." [A few sentences are here left out by the Editor.] "Be composed then, Victorin," said Euphemia; "you may make yourself perfectly tranquil as to all this, which has brought you into such fear and trouble. Indeed, it is on the whole fortunate, that this adventure has happened with Hermogen; for I have thus an opportunity of speaking to you on many things of which I had too long been silent.