reserve, and
told him my history from beginning to end. At this time we were on the
outskirts of a beautiful forest in the last rays of the setting sun. The
park at Sainte-Severe, with its fine lordly oaks which had never known
the insult of an axe, came into my thoughts as I gazed on these trees of
the wilds, exempt from all human care, towering out above our heads in
their might and primitive grace. The glowing horizon reminded me of the
evening visits to Patience's hut, and Edmee sitting under the golden
vine-leaves, and the notes of the merry parrots brought back to me the
warbling of the beautiful exotic birds she used to keep in her room.
I wept as I thought of the land of my birth so far away, of the broad
ocean between us which had swallowed so many pilgrims in the hour of
their return to their native shores. I also thought of the prospects of
fortune, of the dangers of war, and for the first time I felt the fear
of death; for Arthur, pressing my hand in his, assured me that I was
loved, and that in each act of harshness or distrust he found but a new
proof of affection.

"My boy," he said, "cannot you see that if she did not want to marry
you, she would have found a hundred ways of ridding herself of your
pretensions forever? And if she had not felt an inexhaustible affection
for you, would she have taken so much trouble, and imposed so many
sacrifices upon herself to raise you from the abject condition in which
she found you, and make you worthy of her? Well, you are always dreaming
of the mighty deeds of the knight-errants of old: cannot you see that
you are a noble knight condemned by your lady to rude trials for having
failed in the laws of gallantry, for having demanded in an imperious
tone the love which ought to be sued for on bended knee?"

He then entered into a detailed examination of my misdeeds, and found
that the chastisement was severe but just. Afterwards he discussed the
probabilities of the future, and very sensibly advised me to submit
until she thought right to pardon me.

"But," I said, "is there no shame in a man ripened, as I am now, by
reflection, and roughly tried by war, submitting like a child to the
caprices of a woman?"

"No," replied Arthur, "there is no shame in that; and the conduct of
this woman is not dictated by caprice. One can win nothing but honour in
repairing any evil one has done; and how few men are capable of it!
It is only just that offended modesty should claim i