her countenance the
expression of utter devotion; and in her large eyes tears gathered, and,
having formed, from them slowly fell.

The man groaned aloud, and said:

"Alas! alas! My curse is doubled, being brought on thee."

"There is no curse on thee or me," she answered. "You were but mortal,
and, being sorely tempted, did a wicked deed. But no single deed can
change the nature. You are the same great man; great in your goodness as
you are great in power, and my love, too, remains the same; nay, master,
it is greater. You should stay and live and make atonement by living;
for you cannot live and not better men. You can do deeds that would wipe
out the deadliest guilt. But if you will not stay,--if to you it seems
right to die, and if only--through death your sense of justice can be
met and yourself find peace, then neither will I stay, but go--go where
thou goest. Yea, I will sink or rise with thee; go to this world or
that, I care not which or where, if only I may go with thee. And I pray
thee not to think it hard for me to share thy journey. Why should I be
left behind? And what might I have, thou being gone? What pleasure in
all the world could I find, with thee out of it! I have no home,--thy
presence is my home. I have no kindred and no loves await me anywhere.
How could I have, loving thee? For in thee I have found father and
mother, brother and sister and all sweet relationships. And so whither
thou goest, let me go; and where thou stayest, let me stay. Do not
resist me, but be persuaded, and let me die with thee. So shall we,
passing out of these mortal bodies in the self-same hour, be together
still."

The man made no response; but sat silently gazing at her face. In a
moment the girl moved softly to his side and took his hand in hers; and
so they sat together while the firelight died away and the darkness
enveloped them. But through the darkness the stars beamed mildly, as if
they expressed the sweet mercy which the imaginations of men picture as
throned above the azure in whose blue field they stand suspended.

What happened farther is known only to Him whose eyes see through all
darkness and to whom the night is as the day.

During the night the trapper started suddenly from his sleep. Was it a
woman's cry he heard? Was it only such a sound as comes to us at times
in dreams? He listened but heard nothing save the monotonous murmur of
the rapids and the equally steady movement of the night breeze sti