"Miss ---- looked at the fire and twisted the unfortunate pen she held in her hand, into many unnatural shapes--but said nothing.
"'Well,' resumed I, 'I could not imagine why you were not there; I looked for you once or twice during the evening, and was astonished when I heard that you had not come.'
"'Oh, I received your note telling me that you would accompany another lady, and not wishing to go abegging for an escort, resolved to stay at home.'
"'What a pity!' said I, 'if you had been there I should have had nothing to wish for; as it was, the evening passed delightfully--I scarce left my little cousin's side. Yesterday she carried me shopping with her all the morning, and the day before I went with her to see the Ariadne. She is very much like the picture, and has the same beautiful fair complexion, the same blue eyes and yellow hair, which I admire so much, you know.'
"I looked up at Miss ----; she was gazing fixedly at me. I noticed a tear in her eye, as she turned away and rested her cheek on her dear little hand. I began to think matters were becoming too serious.
"'Sweet ----,' I began, in an altered and earnest tone.--She raised her head suddenly and I trembled at her glance.
"'_Sweet_ ----,' she repeated, with scornful emphasis--'George, I owe you my life, and for that I shall always feel gratitude. I have loved you for yourself--for I thought you generous, sensible and sincere. Your present conduct shews how much I have been deceived in you, and the love I have been proud to feel is lost in contempt.' She rose from her seat as she spoke.--Heaven and Earth! The figure seen in my almost forgotten vision stood before me. I was motionless with horror--a dagger of ice seemed slowly to pierce my breast--I covered my eyes with my hand and groaned:--Too fearfully were the words of doom fulfilled.
"I rose slowly from my chair, bowed low to ---- and leaving the house, hurried to my room and threw myself on my bed. There I writhed in convulsive agony, and in the frenzy of unutterable despair cursed the hour in which I was born. The criminal who, in the confident hope of pardon, and indulging in dreams of long life and happiness, is suddenly dragged forth to the gallows, feels not a tythe of the utter desolation I then felt. By degrees my frenzy subsided, and a dull stupor was coming over me,--when the word '_Revenge_' was muttered in my ear. I remembered the promise. '_Revenge_ is mine, and I will wreak it to the uttermost.' I became perfectly calm--it was the calm of despair. I had nothings to hope for but revenge, and then, come what might, I would be ready to meet it! 'Yes,' said I aloud, 'I will twine myself round her heartstrings--she shall love me devotedly, fatally, and I will requite her with a contempt colder than the snows on Cotapaxi, and a hate more intense than its fires.'