ountain is angry to-night," said Wallulah, at last.
"Would that it might cover us up with its ashes and stones, as the
Indians say it once did two lovers back in the old time."

"Alas, death never comes to those who wish for it. When the grace and
sweetness are all fled from our lives, and we would be glad to lie
down in the grave and be at rest, then it is that we must go on
living. Now I must go. The longer we delay our parting the harder it
will be."

"Not yet, not yet!" cried Wallulah. "Think how long I must be
alone,--always alone until I die."

"God help us!" said Cecil, setting his teeth. "I will dash my mission
to the winds and fly with you. What if God does forsake us, and our
souls are lost! I would rather be in the outer darkness with you than
in heaven without you."

His resolution had given way at last. But in such cases, is it not
always the woman that is strongest?

"No," she said, "you told me that your God would forsake you if you
did. It must not be."

She withdrew herself from his arms and stood looking at him. He saw in
the moonlight that her pale tear-stained face had upon it a sorrowful
resignation, a mournful strength, born of very hopelessness.

"God keep you, Wallulah!" murmured Cecil, brokenly. "If I could only
feel that he would shelter and shield you!"

"That may be as it will," replied the sweet, patient lips. "I do not
know. I shut my eyes to the future. I only want to take myself away
from you, so that your God will not be angry with you. Up there," she
said, pointing, "I will meet you sometime and be with you forever. God
will not be angry then. Now farewell."

He advanced with outstretched arms. She motioned him back.

"It will make it harder," she said.

For a moment she looked into his eyes, her own dark, dilated, full of
love and sadness; for a moment all that was within him thrilled to the
passionate, yearning tenderness of her gaze; then she turned and went
away without a word.

He could not bear to see her go, and yet he knew it must end thus; he
dared not follow her or call her back. But so intense was his desire
for her to return, so vehemently did his life cry out after her, that
for an instant it seemed to him he _had_ called out, "Come back! come
back!" The cry rose to his lips; but he set his teeth and held it
back. They _must_ part; was it not God's will? The old pain at his
heart returned, a faintness was on him, and he reeled to the ground.

Could it be th