crush from this heart every ambitious hope. You are wealthy, beautiful,
admired, loved by everybody and happy;--may you ever be so! Heaven
forbid I should ever make you otherwise; but give me one word of
comfort. Say something kind to me. I have no right to expect it of you,
I know; but I ask it because I love you, and I shall treasure the
slightest word from you all through my life. Morgianna, dearest, have
you nothing to say to me?"

No, nothing. Morgianna was a coquette by nature, and a spoilt child. She
had no notion of being carried off by storm in this way. Fernando had no
business to be going away. Besides, if he really loved her, why did he
not fall on his knees like lovers in romance or on the stage, and tug
wildly at his cravat, or talk in a wild, poetic manner?

"I have said good-bye twice," said Morgianna. "Take your arm away, or I
will call some one."

"I will not reproach you," Fernando sadly answered. "It's no doubt my
fault," he added with a sigh. "I have thought sometimes that you did not
quite despise me; but I was a fool to do so. Every one must, who has
seen the life I have led of late--you most of all, for it was he at
whose life I aimed. God bless you!"

He was gone, actually gone. She waited a little while, thinking he would
return, peeped out of the door, looked down the broad carriage drive as
well as the increasing darkness would allow, saw a hastily retreating
shadow melt into the general gloom, came in again, waited a little
longer, then went up to her room, bolted herself in, threw herself on
her bed and cried as if her heart would break.