“You are an incendiary, sent here to convulse my soul with war, until Reason herself is hurled from her throne! Man! man! You know what civil war in a nation is. Do you know—can you guess what the internal conflict of a divided soul is? No, you do not. Your well-balanced mind, like a well-governed State, is always quiet. But mine! Oh, you have raised an insurrection in my soul that can never, never be suppressed! Oh, man! man! it is a grievous wrong that you have done me. I was so highly happy in my glorious hopes and prospects until you came. You have killed all my joy. But do not think,” she exclaimed, with another violent outburst of passion; “do not think that you have succeeded! Do not! Never suppose that to please your fanaticism I will give up my estate—never! never!” “No, Garnet. Not to please my fanaticism, as you call it, will you do so, but in obedience to your awakened and aroused conscience will you do so.” “What! Never! What! resign all my great plans of usefulness, of benevolence, of wide philanthropy? Renounce all my glorious prospects of world honor—perhaps renown? Man! do you know what you ask of me? They are worth my soul’s price. Give up my fortune! Do you know its amount? Why, my income is almost a queen’s revenue. Do you know, as I do, with what power it clothes me?” “I know the vast amount and great power of your wealth, Garnet. And I know the great good that you, with your wonderful beauty, talent, and enterprise could do with it; the great distinction you could gain by it. I know your pride, your ambition, your burning aspiration after worldly glory, and I feel the stupendous force of the temptation that is upon you.” “I tell you, my power, my plans and prospects are worth almost my soul’s price!” she exclaimed vehemently. “‘Almost’ not quite. There is a surplus value and weight about the soul that will weigh down the scale, and toss the fortune up.” “Never, I tell you. Never!” she repeated passionately. Dr. Hutton regarded her fixedly for some moments, then he asked coldly: “And this, then, is your final decision, Miss Seabright?” “Yes; please Heaven, it is.”