, the very bliss of
heaven; but the shining of this ray only made his unutterable torments
the more terrible to bear.

"The Chevalier had never been in love. The moment in which he saw
Angela was the moment in which he was to experience the most ardent
passion, and also at the same time the crushing pain of utter
hopelessness. For no man who had appeared before the pure angel-child,
lovely Angela, in the way the Chevalier had done, could dream of hope.
He attempted to speak, but his tongue seemed to be numbed by cramp. At
last, controlling himself with an effort, he stammered with trembling
voice, 'Signor Vertua, listen to me. I have not won anything from
you--nothing at all. There is my strong box; it is yours,--nay, I
must pay you yet more than there is there. I am your debtor. There,
take it, take it!'

"'O my daughter!' cried Vertua. But Angela rose to her feet, approached
the Chevalier, and flashed a proud look upon him, saying earnestly and
composedly, *'Chevalier, allow me to tell you that there is something
higher than money and goods; there are sentiments to which you are a
stranger, which, whilst sustaining our souls with the comfort of
Heaven, bid us reject your gift, your favour, with contempt. Keep your
mammon, which is burdened with the curse that pursues you, you
heartless, depraved gambler.'

"'Yes,' cried the Chevalier in a fearful voice, his eyes flashing
wildly, for he was perfectly beside himself, 'yes, accursed,--accursed
will I be--down into the depths of damnation may I be hurled if ever
again this hand touches a card. And if you then send me from you,
Angela, then it will be you who will bring irreparable ruin upon me.
Oh! you don't know--you don't understand me. You can't help but call me
insane; but you will feel it--you will know all, when you see me
stretched at your feet with my brains scattered. Angela! It's now a
question of life or death! Farewell!'

"Therewith the Chevalier rushed off in a state of perfect despair.
Vertua saw through him completely; he knew what change had come over
him; he endeavoured to make his lovely Angela understand that certain
circumstances might arise which would make it necessary to accept the
Chevalier's present Angela trembled with dread lest she should
understand her father. She did not conceive how it would ever be
possible to meet the Chevalier on any other terms save those of
contempt. Destiny, which often ripens into shape deep down in the human
he