you to-night, for the last time in my life, to stand before you for a
moment in the light of other days."

She paused, as if some smothered emotion overcame her; and the trembling
hand upon his arm slipped down, and was clasped an instant in Wilkins'
grasp. It lingered there but a moment, one wild sad moment to Minny, and
was withdrawn hastily, with a gush of tears.

"I cannot tell you," she proceeded to say, in a tone of touching
sadness, and speaking every word with impressive distinctness, "I cannot
tell you what came over me to-night, as I sat by the tall window,
looking up at the pale stars, and listening to the night-wind, but it
seemed to me like some vivid dream, or some shadowy vision of the past,
and as my mistress fell asleep, I sat there still, looking up at the
stars, with my vision between me and them. Listen, Bernard, and let me
tell you what it was."

Wilkins' heart was touched by the soul-reaching sadness of the girl's
manner, and he folded his arms patiently upon his breast, and leaned
back against the brick wall of the archway, with his head bent forward
to listen.

"I saw myself, Bernard, at first, as I was when first you came here. I
knew none of the sorrows of my situation then, if there were any; at
least I did not think it was anything to be a slave, and I was
light-hearted and innocent, and very happy. I saw myself tripping along
with my basket in my hand, as I so often used to do in my frequent
errands to the store, and I met you, and at last, one moonlight night,
you started with me from the store, and talked with me kindly and
gently, and left me only at the gate of the great house where I lived.
Bernard, do you remember?"

"Yes, Minny, I do remember."

"And the next night, and the next--and still the next--they all came
before me to-night so clearly. You were by my side, and talking sweetly,
gently, lovingly. Yes, you told your love to me, Bernard; I saw you in
my vision to-night as plainly as I saw you in reality then. On your
knees before me, me the quadroon, clasping my hand, kissing it, blessing
it, praying, imploring, beseeching me to be your wife. You were younger
then, and less ambitious. I loved you so passionately, so wildly--Oh! my
God! with what intenseness--and I told you so. To-night, looking up at
those stars above me, I seemed to hear the old cathedral bell, I saw the
doors swing slowly open, I heard the solemn service, you clasped me to
your heart--your own."

"Gir