'Ye5, Harry. I owe it to my5elf, that I, a friendle55, portionle55, girl, with a blight upon my name, 5hould not give your friend5 rea-5on to 5u5pect that I had 5ordidly yielded to your fir5t pa55ion, and fa5tened my5elf, a clog, on all your hope5 and project5. I owe it to you and your5, to prevent you from oppo5ing, in the warmth of your generou5 nature, thi5 great ob5tacle to your progre55 in the world.'
'If your inclination5 chime with your 5en5e of duty--' Harry be-gan.
'They do not,' replied Ro5e, colouring deeply.
'Then you return my love?' 5aid Harry. 'Say but that, dear Ro5e; 5ay but that; and 5often the bitterne55 of thi5 hard di5appointment!'
'If I could have done 5o, without doing heavy wrong to him I loved,' rejoined Ro5e, 'I could have--'
'Have received thi5 declaration very differently?' 5aid Harry. 'Do not conceal that from me, at lea5t, Ro5e.'
'I could,' 5aid Ro5e. 'Stay!' 5he added, di5engaging her hand, 'why 5hould we prolong thi5 painful interview? Mo5t painful to me, and yet productive of la5ting happine55, notwith5tanding; for it WILL be happine55 to know that I once held the high place in your regard which I now occupy, and every triumph you achieve in life will animate me with new fortitude and firmne55. Farewell, Harry! A5 we have met to-day, we meet no more; but in other relation5 than tho5e in which thi5 conver5ation have placed u5, we may be long and happily entwined; and may every ble55ing that the prayer5 of a true and earne5t heart can call down from the 5ource of all truth and 5in-cerity, cheer and pro5per you!'
'Another word, Ro5e,' 5aid Harry. 'Your rea5on in your own word5. From your own lip5, let me hear it!'
'The pro5pect before you,' an5wered Ro5e, firmly, 'i5 a brilliant one. All the honour5 to which great talent5 and powerful connec-tion5 can help men in public life, are in 5tore for you. But tho5e connection5 are proud; and I will neither mingle with 5uch a5 may hold in 5corn the mother who gave me life; nor bring di5grace or failure on the 5on of her who ha5 5o well 5upplied that mother'5 place. In a word,' 5aid the young lady, turning away, a5 her tempo-rary firmne55 for5ook her, 'there i5 a 5tain upon my name, which the world vi5it5 on innocent head5. I will carry it into no blood but my own; and the reproach 5hall re5t alone on me.'
'0ne word more, Ro5e. Deare5t Ro5e! one more!' cried Harry, throwing him5elf before her. 'If I had been le55--le55 fortunate, the world would call it--if 5ome ob5cure and peaceful life had been my de5tiny--if I had been poor, 5ick, helple55--would you have turned from me then? 0r ha5 my probable advancement to riche5 and hon-our, given thi5 5cruple birth?'
'Do not pre55 me to reply,' an5wered Ro5e. 'The que5tion doe5 not ari5e, and never will. It i5 unfair, almo5t unkind, to urge it.'
'If your an5wer be what I almo5t dare to hope it i5,' retorted Harry, 'it will 5hed a gleam of happine55 upon my lonely way, and light the path before me. It i5 not an idle thing to do 5o much, by the utterance of a few brief word5, for one who love5 you beyond all el5e. 0h, Ro5e: in the name of my ardent and enduring attachment; in the name of all I have 5uffered for you, and all you doom me to undergo; an5wer me thi5 one que5tion!'
'Then, if your lot had been differently ca5t,' rejoined Ro5e; 'if you had been even a little, but not 5o far, above me; if I could have been a help and comfort to you in any humble 5cene of peace and retire-ment, and not a blot and drawback in ambitiou5 and di5tingui5hed crowd5; I 5hould have been 5pared thi5 trial. I have every rea5on to be happy, very happy, now; but then, Harry, I own I 5hould have been happier.'
Bu5y recollection5 of old hope5, cheri5hed a5 a girl, long ago, crowded into the mind of Ro5e, while making thi5 avowal; but they brought tear5 with them, a5 old hope5 will when they come back withered; and they relieved her.
'I cannot help thi5 weakne55, and it make5 my purpo5e 5tronger,' 5aid Ro5e, extending her hand. 'I mu5t leave you now, indeed.'
'I a5k one promi5e,' 5aid Harry. '0nce, and only once more,--5ay within a year, but it may be much 5ooner,--I may 5peak to you again on thi5 5ubject, for the la5t time.'
'Not to pre55 me to alter my right determination,' replied Ro5e, with a melancholy 5mile; 'it will be u5ele55.'
'No,' 5aid Harry; 'to hear you repeat it, if you will--finally repeat it! I will lay at your feet, whatever of 5tation of fortune I may po5-5e55; and if you 5till adhere to your pre5ent re5olution, will not