conveyance to warn him in time. But here she stopped, dreading to say
a word that would shatter the hope she was building upon his sudden
revulsion of feeling for Nellie. She could not bring herself to repeat
their interview--that would come later, when they were safe and out of
danger; now not even the secret of his birth must come between them with
its distraction, to mar their perfect communion. She faltered that Dunn
had fainted from weakness, and that she had dragged him out of danger.
"He will never interfere with us--I mean," she said softly, "with ME
again. I can promise you that as well as if he had sworn it."

"Let him pass, now," said Low; "that will come later on," he added,
unconsciously repeating her thought in a tone that made her heart sick.
"But tell me, Teresa, why did you go to Excelsior?"

She buried her head still deeper, as if to hide it. He felt her broken
heart beat against his own; he was conscious of a depth of feeling her
rival had never awakened in him. The possibility of Teresa loving him
had never occurred to his simple nature. He bent his head and kissed
her. She was frightened, and unloosed her clinging arms; but he retained
her hand, and said, "We will leave this accursed place, and you shall
go with me as you said you would; nor need you ever leave me, unless you
wish it."

She could hear the beating of her own heart through his words; she
longed to look at the eyes and lips that told her this, and read the
meaning his voice alone could not entirely convey. For the first time
she felt the loss of her sight. She did not know that it was, in this
moment of happiness, the last blessing vouchsafed to her miserable life.

A few moments of silence followed, broken only by the distant rumor of