The silence, with which she listened to a proposal, dictated by love and

despair, and enforced at a moment, when it seemed scarcely possible

for her to oppose it;--when her heart was softened by the sorrows of

a separation, that might be eternal, and her reason obscured by the

illusions of love and terror, encouraged him to hope, that it would not

be rejected. 'Speak, my Emily!' said Valancourt eagerly, 'let me hear

your voice, let me hear you confirm my fate.' she spoke not; her cheek

was cold, and her senses seemed to fail her, but she did not faint. To

Valancourt's terrified imagination she appeared to be dying; he called

upon her name, rose to go to the chateau for assistance, and then,

recollecting her situation, feared to go, or to leave her for a moment.

After a few minutes, she drew a deep sigh, and began to revive. The

conflict she had suffered, between love and the duty she at present owed

to her father's sister; her repugnance to a clandestine marriage,

her fear of emerging on the world with embarrassments, such as

might ultimately involve the object of her affection in misery and

repentance;--all this various interest was too powerful for a mind,

already enervated by sorrow, and her reason had suffered a transient

suspension. But duty, and good sense, however hard the conflict, at

length, triumphed over affection and mournful presentiment; above all,

she dreaded to involve Valancourt in obscurity and vain regret, which

she saw, or thought she saw, must be the too certain consequence of a

marriage in their present circumstances; and she acted, perhaps, with

somewhat more than female fortitude, when she resolved to endure a

present, rather than provoke a distant misfortune.

With a candour, that proved how truly she esteemed and loved him,

and which endeared her to him, if possible, more than ever, she told

Valancourt all her reasons for rejecting his proposals. Those, which

influenced her concerning his future welfare, he instantly refuted, or

rather contradicted; but they awakened tender considerations for her,

which the frenzy of passion and despair had concealed before, and love,

which had but lately prompted him to propose a clandestine and immediate

marriage, now induced him to renounce it. The triumph was almost too

much for his heart; for Emily's sake, he endeavoured to stifle his

grief, but the swelling anguish would not be restrained. 'O Emily!' said

he, 'I must leave you--I MUST leave you, and I know it is for ever!'

Convulsive sobs again interrupted his words, and they wept together in

silence, till Emily, recollecting the danger of being discovered, and

the impropriety of prolonging an interview, which might subject her to

censure, summoned all her fortitude to utter a last farewell.




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