ld, there were no means of moving or guiding it. Better to remain on
the ice than to attempt that. Such a refuge would only do as a last
resort. After giving up this idea, I watched to see if there was any
chance of drifting back to the shore, but soon saw that there was
none. Every moment drew us farther off. Then I thought of a score of
desperate undertakings, but all of them were given up almost as soon as
they suggested themselves.

All this time the lady had sat in silence--deathly pale, looking around
with that same anguish of fear which I had noticed from the first, like
one who awaits an inevitable doom. The storm beat about her pitilessly;
occasional shudders passed through her; and the dread scene around
affected me far less than those eyes of agony, that pallid face, and
those tremulous white lips that seemed to murmur prayers. She saw, as
well as I, the widening sheet of water between us and the shore on the
one side, and on the other the ever-increasing masses of crumbling ice.

At last I suddenly offered to go to Quebec, and bring back help for
her. So wild a proposal was in the highest degree impracticable; but I
thought that it might lead her to suggest something. As soon as she
heard it, she evinced fresh terror.

"Oh, sir!" she moaned, "if you have a human heart, do not leave me! For
God's sake, stay a little longer."

"Leave you!" I cried; "never while I have breath. I will stay with you
to the last."

But this, instead of reassuring her, merely had the effect of changing
her feelings. She grew calmer.

"No," said she, "you must not. I was mad with fear. No--go. You at
least can save yourself. Go--fly--leave me!"

"Never!" I repeated. "I only made that proposal--not thinking to save
you, but merely supposing that you would feel better at the simple
suggestion of something."

"I implore you," she reiterated. "Go--there is yet time. You only risk
your life by delay. Don't waste your time on me."

"I could not go if I would," I said, "and I swear I would not go if I
could," I cried, impetuously. "I hope you do not take me for any thing
else than a gentleman."

"Oh, sir, pardon me. Can you think that?--But you have already risked
your life once by waiting to save mine--and, oh, do not risk it by
waiting again."

"Madame," said I, "you must not only not say such a thing, but you must
not even think it. I am here with you, and, being a gentleman, I am
here by your side either for life or death