hen, madam," said Elisor, "I have kept faith with you and obeyed your
command. There is not, nor ever will there be, another image in my heart
save that which you saw upon my breast. Her alone will I love, reverence
and worship, not as a woman merely, but as my very God on earth, in
whose hands I place my life or my death, entreating her withal that
the deep and perfect affection, which was my life whilst it remained
concealed, may not prove my death now that it is discovered. And though
I be not worthy that you should look on me or accept me for your lover,
at least suffer me to live, as hitherto, in the happy consciousness that
my heart has chosen so perfect and so worthy an object for its love,
wherefrom I can have no other satisfaction than the knowledge that my
love is deep and perfect, seeing that I must be content to love without
hope of return. And if, now knowing this great love of mine, you should
not be pleased to favour me more than heretofore, at least do not
deprive me of life, which for me consists wholly in the delight of
seeing you as usual. I now have from you nought but what my utmost need
requires, and should I have less, you will have a servant the less, for
you will lose the best and most devoted that you have ever had or could
ever look to have."

The Queen--whether to show herself other than she really was, or to
thoroughly try the love he bore her, or because she loved another whom
she would not cast off, or because she wished to hold him in reserve to
put him in the place of her actual lover should the latter give her any
offence--said to him, with a countenance that showed neither anger nor
content--"Elisor, I will not feign ignorance of the potency of love, and
say aught to you concerning your foolishness in aiming at so high and
hard a thing as the love of me; for I know that man's heart is so little
under his own control, that he cannot love or hate at will. But, since
you have concealed your feelings so well, I would fain know how long it
is since you first entertained them."

Elisor, gazing at her beauteous face and hearing her thus inquire
concerning his sickness, hoped that she might be willing to afford him
a remedy. But at the same time, observing the grave and staid expression
of her countenance, he became afraid, feeling himself to be in the
presence of a judge whose sentence, he suspected, would be against him.
Nevertheless he swore to her that this love had taken root in his heart