frightful difficulty; though so fervent was my longing to do this,
that, if my life could have done it, I would have laid it down for her
on the spot.

At last, to my inexpressible relief, I heard from her a low moan. I put
her down on the door-step of a house close by, and sat by her side
supporting her. A lamp was burning not far away.

She drew a long breath, and then raised herself suddenly, and looked
all around. Gradually the truth of her position returned to her. She
drew herself away from me, and buried her face in her hands, and sat in
silence for a long time. I waited in patience and anxiety for her to
speak, and feared that the excitement and the anguish which she had
undergone might have affected her mind.

Suddenly she started, and looked at me with staring eyes.

"Did _he_ send _you_?" she gasped, in a strange, hoarse, choking voice.

Her face, her tone, and the emphasis of her words, all showed the full
nature of the dark suspicion that had flung itself over her mind.

"_He_! _Me_!" I cried, indignantly. "Never! never! Can you have the
heart to suspect _me_? Have I deserved this?"

"It looks like it," said she, coldly.

"Oh, listen!" I cried; "listen! I will explain my coming. It was a
mistake, an accident. I swear to you, ever since that day on the ice,
I've been haunted by your face--"

She made an impatient gesture.

"Well, not your face, then. I did not know it was yours. I called it
the Lady of the Ice."

"I do not care to hear," said she, coldly.

"Oh, listen!" I said. "I want to clear myself from your horrid
suspicion. I was at your house this evening. After leaving, I wandered
wildly about. I couldn't go home. It was half madness and superstition.
I went to the Esplanade, and there seemed voices in the storm. I
wandered back again to your house, with a vague and half-crazy idea
that the Lady of the Ice was calling me. As I came up to the house, I
saw a shadowy figure on the other side. I thought it was the Lady of
the Ice, and crossed over, not knowing what I was doing. The figure
came and took my arm. I walked on, frozen into a sort of superstitious
silence. I swear to you, it happened exactly in this way, and that for
a time I really thought it was the Lady of the Ice who had come to meet
me in the storm. I held back once or twice, but to no avail. I swear to
you that I never had the remotest idea that it was you, till the moment
when you fell, and I saw that you yourself were the