ce of a young
man--apparently about twenty-four years old; a countenance which at this
moment appeared to Bertram eminently noble and dignified, and strongly
reminded him of the fine profile which he had seen in the gallery of
the inn. It was a countenance that to Miss Walladmor was known too well
for her peace: this was evident from all that followed. She uttered a
sudden shriek on seeing him; the noise of the crowd overpowered it, but
Bertram was near and heard it; then sank back for a moment; then again
leaned forward, and turned deadly pale: then seemed to recover herself,
and burst into tears--large tears which glittered in the lamplight: and
at last fixing her eyes upon the stranger--and seeing that he stood
checked and agitated by the uncertain meaning of her manner,--in a
moment, and in a rapture of tenderness that asked no counsel of fears
or selfish scruples, or of any thing on this earth but her own woman's
heart, she stretched out her hand to him and through her streaming
tears smiled upon him with innocent love. She had no voice to thank him
as her deliverer: nor did she at this moment think of him as such; for
her heart had gone back to times in which she needed no ties of
_gratitude_ (or believed that she needed none) to justify her
attachment. On the other hand the stranger likewise uttered not a word.
He, who would have died a thousand times to have saved a hair of her
head from suffering injury, had not thought of his recent service as of
any thing that could entitle him to a moment's favour; and, when he
actually beheld the smile of her angelic countenance and found her hand
within his own, he held it at first as one who knew not that he held
it: for a little space his thoughts seemed to wander; he looked upwards
as if in deep perplexity; and Bertram observed a slight convulsive
movement about his lips. But suddenly he recovered himself; pressed the
hand which he held with a look of unutterable fervor to his heart;
kissed it with an anguish of love deep--endless--despairing; and, as he
resigned if, offered a letter which Miss Walladmor immediately accepted
without hesitation; and then, without hazarding another look, he
disappeared hastily in the darkness.

All passed within little more than a minute: from the position he
occupied, Bertram had reason to believe that he only had witnessed the
extraordinary scene: and he could not but ejaculate to himself--"What a
world of meaning was uttered here, and