rose ghost-like up to people it, and sighed heavily, heavily. Now, hard
by, roused from its bed amongst the fern, the doe that Darrell had tained
into companionship had watched with curiosity this strange intruder on
its solitary range. But at the sound of that heavy sigh, the creature,
emboldened, left its halting-place, and stole close to the saddened
woman, touching her very dress. Doubtless, as Darrell's companion in his
most musing hours, the doe was familiarised to the sound of sighs, and
associated the sound with its gentlest notions of humanity.

The lady, starting, raised her drooping lids, and met those soft dark
eyes, dark and soft as her own. Round the animal's neck there was a
simple collar, with a silver plate, fresh and new, evidently placed there
recently; and as the creature thrust forward its head, as if for the
caress of a wonted hand, the lady read the inscription. The words were
in Italian, and may be construed thus: "Female, yet not faithless;
fostered, yet not ungrateful." As she read, her heart so swelled, and
her resolve so deserted her, that she turned as if she had received a
sentence of dismissal, and went back some hasty paces. The doe followed
her till she paused again, and then it went slowly down a narrow path to
the left, which led to the banks of the little lake.

The lady had now recovered herself. "It is a duty, and it must be done,"
she muttered, and letting clown the veil she had raised on entering the
demesne, she hurried on, not retracing her steps in the same path, but
taking that into which the doe had stricken, perhaps in the confused
mistake of a mind absorbed and absent-perhaps in revived recollection of
the localities, for the way thus to the house was shorter than by the
weed-grown carriage-road. The lake came in view, serene and glassy;
half-leafless woodlands reflected far upon its quiet waters; the doe
halted, lifted its head, and sniffed the air, and, somewhat quickening