ddenly dashed to earth;
but I will thank thee, for the swelling of the heart, for the
lifting up of the soul, for the tears I have shed, for the
ecstacy I have known on the sea-shore, in the forest, on the
mountain. The heart knoweth its own bitterness; but there is
also a joy with which the stranger intermeddles not.

We wandered for some time on the beach, and then began
scrambling among the cliffs, and clambering up to the various
rocky points from whence the little bay and its wooded coast
were seen to most advantage. In doing so, we gradually
separated into different parties, and Mrs. Brandon, Rosa,
Henry, and myself, went to explore a small cavern, where there
were some curious sands of various colours, which Mr. Brandon
had described to us the day before.

Rosa was on her knees upon the ground, collecting specimens of
each; I was looking at the sea through a natural window in the
rock; when Mrs. Brandon asked her if she had got all she
wanted, and begged her, if she had, to walk back with her to
the inn, as she wished to order luncheon, and speak to Mr.
Brandon about the arrangements for our return.

I was preparing to follow them, when Henry laid his hand on my
arm, and said in so serious a voice that it quite startled me,
"For my sister's sake, Ellen, stay with me here a few moments;
we will walk back by the downs; I have much to say to you, and
this is my last opportunity."

I stopped immediately, and leant against the entrance of the
cavern.

Henry was as pale as death, his lip was quivering, and his
hand shook violently as he took hold of mine.

"Ellen," he said, abruptly, "do you know that I love you, as
much as a man can love,--more than words can express? Do you
know, do you feel it, Ellen?" And he wrung my hand with
nervous violence.

"Has your sister written to you?" I asked, with a trembling
voice.

"She has. What will you do?"

"What can I do?"

"Do you care for me?"

"I am sorry to part with you."

As I said these words, I hid my face in my hands, and from
nervous agitation, burst into tears.

"Then we shall never part!" he exclaimed. "Then to-morrow, at
this hour, you shall be mine--mine for ever, beyond all human
power to part us!--mine, to worship, to adore, to live for, to
die for! Ellen, do you hear me? Speak to me! Answer me! Shall
this be? Shall it be? Why do you look so pale and so cold?"

"You are raving, Henry, you are raving; you frighten me, you
hurt me; let me go.