"After all what?" asked Hawbury, who now began to perceive that
another feeling besides jealousy was the cause of his friend's gloomy
melancholy.

"Well, after all, you know, old fellow, I fear I'll have to give her
up."

"Give her up?"

"Yes."

"That's what you said before, and you mentioned Australia, and that
rot."

"The more I think of it," said Dacres, dismally, and regarding the
opposite wall with a steady yet mournful stare--"the more I think of
it, the more I see that there's no such happiness in store for me."

"Pooh, man! what is it all about? This is the secret that you spoke
about, I suppose?"

"Yes; and it's enough to put a barrier between me and her. Was I
jealous? Did I seem huffy? What an idiot I must have been! Why, old
man, I can't do any thing or say any thing."

"The man's mad," said Hawbury, addressing himself to a carved
tobacco-box on the table.

"Mad? Yes, I was mad enough in ever letting myself be overpowered by
this bright dream. Here have I been giving myself up to a phantom--an