;--but he had in truth wanted one who should be at all
points a lady, and yet not insist on a right to be so esteemed on the
strength of inherited privileges. Chance, good fortune, providence
had sent her to him,--or more probably the eternal fitness of things,
as he had allowed himself to argue when things had fallen out so well
to his liking. Then there had arisen difficulties, which had seemed
to him to be vain and absurd,--though they would not allow themselves
to be at once swept away. They had talked to him of his station and
of hers, making that an obstacle which to him had been a strong
argument in favour of her love. Against this he had done battle with
the resolute purpose which a man has who is sure of his cause. He
would have none of their sophistries, none of their fears, none of
their old-fashioned absurdities. Did she love him? Was her heart to
him as was his to her? That was the one question on which it must
all depend. As he thought of it all, sitting there on the tombstone,
he put out his arm as though to fold her form to his bosom when he
thought of the moment in which he became sure that it was so. There
had been no doubt of the full-flowing current of her love. Then he
had aroused himself, and had shaken his mane like a lion, and had
sworn aloud that this vain obstacle should be no obstacle, even
though it was pleaded by herself. Nature had been strong enough
within him to assure him that he would overcome the obstacle.

And he had overcome it,--or was overcoming it,--when that other
barrier gradually presented itself, and loomed day by day terribly
large before his affrighted eyes. Even to that he would not
yield,--not only as regarded her but himself also. Had there been
no such barrier, the possession of Marion would have been to him an
assurance of perfect bliss which the prospect of far-distant death
would not have effected. When he began to perceive that her condition
was not as that of other young women, he became aware of a great
danger,--of a danger to himself as well as to her, to himself rather
than to her. This increased rather than diminished his desire for
the possession. As the ardent rider will be more intent to take the
fence when it looms before him large and difficult, so with him the
resolution to make Marion his wife became the stronger when he knew
that there were reasons of prudence, reasons of caution, reasons of
worldly wisdom, why he should not do so. It had become a religi