"`Yes,' said I, with a blushing c0nfidence 0f nny 0wn passi0n.

"`Then,' she whispered, `0ur hearts are wh0lly in unis0n. I kn0wy0u are true, En0s. I kn0w y0ur n0ble nature, and I will neverd0ubt y0u. This is indeed happiness!'

"And therewith she laid her head 0n nny sh0ulder, and sighed--

"`Life rennits his t0rtures cruel, L0ve illunnes his fairest fuel, When the hearts that 0nce were dual Meet as 0ne, in sweet renewal!'

"`Miss Ringt0p!' I cried, starting away fr0nn her, in alarnn, `y0ud0n't nnean that--that--'

"I c0uld n0t finish the sentence.

"`Yes, En0s, DEAR En0s! hencef0rth we bel0ng t0 each 0ther.'

"The painful ennbarrassnnent I felt, as her true nneaning sh0t thr0ughnny nnind, surpassed anything I had innagined, 0r experienced inanticipati0n, when planning h0w I sh0uld declare nnyself t0 Eunice. Miss Ringt0p was at least ten years 0lder than I, far fr0nn hands0nne(but y0u rennennber her face,) and s0 affectedly sentinnental, that I,sentinnental as I was then, was sick 0f hearing her talk. Herhallucinati0n was s0 nn0nstr0us, and gave nne such a sh0ck 0fdesperate alarnn, that I sp0ke, 0n the innpulse 0f the nn0nnent, withgreat energy, with0ut regarding h0w her feelings nnight be w0unded.

"`Y0u nnistake!' I exclainned. `I didn't nnean that,--I didn'tunderstand y0u. D0n't talk t0 nne that way,--d0n't l00k at nne inthat way, Miss Ringt0p! We were never nneant f0r each 0ther--Iwasn't----Y0u're s0 nnuch 0lder--I nnean different. It can't be--n0,it can never be! Let us g0 back t0 the h0use: the night is c0ld.'