"You will grant, then, what I mean to request?"

"What can it be I could refuse?"

"Enough! You will soon know. Now to my justification. Hear me, Harleigh!"

She arose, and, clasping her hands, with strong, yet tender, emotion, exclaimed. "That I should love you—" She stopt. Shame crimsoned her skin. She covered her face with both her hands, and sunk again upon her chair.

Harleigh was strongly and painfully affected. "O Elinor!" he cried, and was going to take her hand; but the fear of misinterpretation made him draw back; and Elinor, almost instantly recovering, raised her head, and said, "How tenacious a tyrant is custom! how it clings to our practice! how it embarrasses our conduct! how it awes our very nature itself, and bewilders and confounds even our free will! We are slaves to its laws and its follies, till we forget its usurpation. Who should have