heart almost broke in the effort to appear calm in resigning him.- "Not now-you are free! added she, in an accent of despair.

"Free!-Oh, Gertrude! my life!" and he paced the room with disordered steps; then suddenly stopping, “No—you must—you shall be mine-I will not believe it by Heaven 'tis false !-you- you the daughter of that

"Oh! he is my father!" cried Gertrude, shuddering. "No there is some infernal plot at the bottom of this it shall be cleared up; "and he was hurrying towards the door, when Gertrude called to him

you

"Stay, Delmour, 'tis from me you shall hear it allI will not that you should hear it from another that have loved an impostor-a beggar ! And with desperate energy she recapitulated to him the evidence of her birth, as detailed by Mrs St Clair. When she had ended, Delmour said nothing; but he buried his face in his handkerchief in an agony of grief, and Gertrude's high-wrought fortitude almost forsook her as she beheld her lover thus overcome. She felt she could not long support the continuance of the scene; and she said

"Now I have told you all, Delmour-I am no longer what I have been. From this hour let my shame-my disgrace be proclaimed, and let us part!"

"Gertrude, if you would not drive me mad, do not -Oh! you know not how I love-how I adore you ! And he pressed her hands to his lips, and Gertrude felt his burning tears fall upon them, and every drop was as a life-drop from her heart.

"Gertrude!" exclaimed he, passionately, "you have never loved as I do, or you could not be thus unmoved."

A faint smile of anguish quivered on Gertrude's pale

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ELMOUR'S whole nand was a ch Acting pass ons. That he loved vas on ut his love was compounded of a greents -pride, vanity, ambitica, l-inte. now all these were up in arus to Oppose en mor gode.ous criment that raight have fou his heart. In de state of excitation he so. ..

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