and then added, in a voice at once folemn, and dejected,-"No-I am not the fame! -I am loft-I am no longer worthy of you !"

He again concealed his face. Emily was too much affected by this honeft confeffion to reply immediately, and, while she struggled to overcome the pleadings of her heart, and to act with the decifive firmness, which was neceffary for her future peace, she perceived all the danger of trufting long to her resolution, in the presence of Valancourt, and was anxious to conclude an interview, that tortured them both; yet when the confidered, that this was probably their last meeting, her fortitude funk at once, and the experienced only emotions of tenderness and of defpondency.

Valancourt, meanwhile, loft in those of remorse and grief, which he had neither the power, or the will to exprefs, fat infenfible almost of the prefence of Emily, his features ftill concealed, and his breast agi. tated by convulfive fighs.

"Spare me the neceffity," faid Emily, recollecting her fortitude, "fpare me the neceffity of mentioning those circumftances of your conduct, which oblige me to break our connection forever.-We must part, now fee you for the last time."

¢

I

Impoffible !" cried Valancourt, roused from his deep filence, "You cannot mean what you fay!-you cannot mean to throw me from you forever !"

"We must part," repeated Emily, with emphafis," and that forever! Your own conduct has made this neceffary."

"This is the Count's determination,' faid he haughtily, "not yours, and I fhall enquire by what authority he interferes between us." He now rofe, and walked about the room in great emotion.

"Let me fave you from this error,” said Emily, not lefs agitated-" it is my determination, and, if you reflect a moment on your late conduct, you will perceive, that my future peace requires it."

"Your future peace requires, that we

fhould

fhould part-part forever!" faid Valancourt, "How little did I ever expect to hear you say fo!”

"And how little did I expect, that it would be neceffary for me to fay fo!" rejoined Emily, while her voice foftened into tenderness, and her tears flowed again."That you-you, Valancourt, would ever. fall from my esteem !"

He was filent a moment, as if overwhelmed by the consciousness of no longer deferving this esteem, as well as the certainty of having loft it, and then, with impaffioned grief, lamented the criminality of his late conduct and the misery to which it had reduced him, till, overcome by a recollec tion of the past and a conviction of the future, he burst into tears, and uttered only deep and broken fighs.

The remorse he had expreffed, and the diftrefs he fuffered could not be witnessed by Emily with indifference, and, had she not called to her recollection all the circumstances, of which Count de Villefort had informed

B. 4

informed her, and all he had faid of the danger of confiding in repentance, formed under the influence of paffion, fhe might perhaps have trufted to the affurances of her heart, and have forgotten his misconduct in the tenderness, which that repentance excited.

Valancourt, returning to the chair befide her, at length, faid, in a fubdued voice, ""Tis true, I am fallen-fallen from my own esteem! but could you, Emily, fo foon, fo fuddenly refign, if you had not be fore ceased to love me, or, if your conduct was not governed by the defigns, I will fay, the selfish designs of another perfon? Would you not otherwise be willing to hope for my reformation—and could you bear, by estranging me from you, to abandon me to mifery-to myself!"-Emily wept aloud.-.

No, Emily-no-you would not do this, if you ftill loved me. You would find your own happiness in faving mine.”

"There are too many probabilities against that hope," faid Emily, "to juf

tify me in trusting the comfort of my whole life to it. May I nor alfo ask, whether you could wish me to do this, if you really loved me ?"

Really loved you!" exclaimed Valancourt-" is it poffible you can doubt my love? Yet it is reasonable, that you fhould do fo, fince you fee, that I am less ready to fuffer the horror of parting with you, than that of involving you in my ruin. Yes, Emily-I am ruined-irreparably ruinedI am involved in debts, which I can never difcharge!" Valancourt's look, which was wild, as he spoke this, foon fettled into an expreffion of gloomy despair; and Emily, while fhe was compelled to admire his fincerity, faw, with unutterable anguish, new reafons for fear in the fuddenness of his feelings and the extent of the mifery, in which they might involve him. After fome minutes, the feemed to contend against her grief, and to ftruggle for fortitude to conclude the interview. I will not prolong these moments," said fhe, "by a conversation, B 5

which