upon an isolated group of
projecting rocks, were the begrimmed miners, with their mining lamps,
appearing in the far distance like so many fire-flies, assiduously
digging with mallets and drills into the iron walls, for the purpose of
gaining, in the least dangerous, though most tedious manner, the useful
metal, which others then removed in troughs, baskets and handbarrows,
and finally conveyed to the regions of day. Here, large fires were
burning under the overhanging rocks, for the purpose of softening the
hard stone by their heat, until they could be detached by their iron
crow-bars. Upon slender rafters, supported by inserting their ends into
the fissures of the rocks over unfathomable abysses, solitary
individuals were composedly boring holes in the rocks for the purpose
of blasting them; and near and far to a great distance, the darkness
was illuminated by explosions which re-echoed through the natural
arches of the pit like a subterranean battery of cannon.

'A true earthly hell!' said Arwed, while going down, 'furnished with
all the terrors and torments which mortals can suffer without quickly
succumbing. How can Christine prefer servitude in this eternal night to
freedom in the blessed light of day? But indeed love will endure all
things.'

The tub landed at the bottom of the shaft, Arwed stepped from it, and
immediately perceived, by the light of a torch, the poor Christine
lying exhausted upon the ground in a recess in one side of the pit. Mac
Donalbain was standing by her in silent despair, and the clergyman of
the mines was bandaging the bleeding hands of the suffering woman, from
which the cord had torn the flesh as it slipped through them.

'So thou hast come after me, Arwed!' cried she, with a glance of
heavenly kindness, and extending towards him her already bandaged right
hand. 'You have always acted toward me with the best feelings and
intentions.'

'My God, what desperation!' said Arwed. 'This descent might have cost
you your life. At all events you have accomplished your wish. So give
to Mac Donalbain your farewell kiss, and let us again return to your
child and to your father.'

'Not so, Arwed!' answered Christine with determined resolution. 'My
child is confided to good hands. My presence can afford neither joy nor
comfort to my father. I remain with my husband. You have reason to know
what will be my alternative if compulsion is used. You would not
constrain me to self-murder. Therefore ta