"
"Why, if you grant me this, why forbid me to hope
for more?" said the youth eagerly, and looking
really handsome.
Julia hesitated a moment, and let her dark eyes fall
before his ardent gaze, at a loss what to say--but
the face of Apollo in the imperial uniform
interposed to save her.
"I owe it to your candour, Mr. Weston, to own my
weakness--" she said, and hesitated.
"Go on, Julia--my Julia," said Charles, in an
unusually soft voice; "kill me at once, or bid me
live!"
Again Julia paused, and again she looked on her
companion with kinder eyes than usual--when she
felt the picture which lay next her heart, and
proceeded--
"Yes, Mr. Weston, this heart, this foolish, weak
heart is no longer my own."
"How!" exclaimed Charles, in astonishment, "and
have I then a rival, and a successful one too?"
"You have," said Julia, burying her face in her hands
to conceal her blushes.--"But, Mr. Weston, on your
generosity I depend for secrecy--be as generous as
myself."
"Yes--yes--I will conceal my misery from others,"
cried Charles, springing on his feet and rushing
from the room; "would to God I could conceal it
from myself!"
Julia was sensibly touched with his distress, and for
an instant there was some regret mingled with self-
satisfaction at her own candour--but then the
delightful reflection soon presented itself of the
gratitude of Antonio when he learnt her generous
conduct, and her self-denial in favour of a man
whom she had as yet never seen.
Pages:
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75