"Certainly I am. But all friends must part some time or another." "True," said Diana; then, in a subdued tone, she added, "There are certain persons who are attracted towards each other by kindred feelings and emotions, and it is painful--very painful, for them to part!" "Heavens, Diana!" ejaculated Richard; "you feel as I do!" She turned her face towards him; her cheeks were suffused in blushes, and her eyes were filled with tears. But through those tears she cast upon him a glance which ravished his inmost soul. It seemed fraught with love and tenderness, and inspired him with emotions which he had never known before. The words "You feel as I do," contained the ingenuous and unsophisticated avowal of a new passion on the part of a mind that was as yet as unskilled in the ways of this world as the unfledged bird in the nest of its mother is ignorant of the green woods. But those tears which stood in the lady's eyes, and the blushes which dyed her checks, and the glance which, like a sunbeam in the midst of an April shower, she darted upon the youth at her side, inspired him with courage, awakened undefined hopes, and filled him with an ecstacy of joy. "Why do you weep, Diana? why do you weep?" "You love me, Richard," she replied, turning her melting blue eyes fully upon him, and retaining them for some moments fixed upon his countenance: "you love me; and I feel--I know that I am not worthy of your affection!" Richard started as if he were suddenly aroused from a dream--as if he had abruptly awoke to a stern truth from a pleasing vision. He suffered her hand, which he had taken in his, to fall from his grasp; and for some moments he remained buried in a profound reverie. "Ah! I knew that I should remind you of your duty towards yourself," said Diana, bitterly. "No--I am not worthy of you. But that you may hereafter give me credit for frankness and candour,--that you may be actually warned by myself _against_ myself,--that you may learn to esteem me as a friend, if you will, I shall in a few words relate to you the incidents that made me what I am!" "Proceed," said Richard, "proceed! Believe me I shall listen with attention,--with the greatest attention!"