deceived us, but her whole atmosphere was delusion. Mists come before
the sunrise. However this be, Roland and I were not long in detecting
each other. And hence arose, first coldness, then jealousy, then
quarrel."

"Oh, my father, your love must have been indeed powerful to have made a
breach between the hearts of two such brothers!"

"Yes," said my father, "it was amidst the old ruins of the castle, there
where I had first seen Ellinor, that, winding my arm round Roland's neck
as I found--him seated amongst the weeds and stones, his face buried in
his hands,--it was there that I said, "Brother, we both love this woman!
My nature is the calmer of the two, I shall feel the loss less.
Brother, shake hands! and God speed you, for I go!"

"Austin!" murmured my mother, sinking her head on my father's breast.

"And therewith we quarrelled. For it was Roland who insisted, while the
tears rolled down his eyes and he stamped his foot on the ground, that
he was the intruder, the interloper; that he had no hope; that he had
been a fool and a madman; and that it was for him to go! Now, while we
were disputing, and words began to run high, my father's old servant
entered the desolate place with a note from Lady Ellinor to me, asking
for the loan of some book I had praised. Roland saw the handwriting,
and while I turned the note over and over irresolutely, before I broke
the seal, he vanished.

"He did not return to my father's house. We did not know what had
become of him. But I, thinking over that impulsive, volcanic nature,
took quick alarm. And I went in search of him; came on his track at