daylight shewed it to be lead--two silly, luckless flies, who had played

in sunbeams and were caught in a spider's web. I leaned against the

casement, and watched those two glorious creatures, till they disappeared

in the forest-glades; and then I turned. Perdita had not moved; her eyes

fixed on the ground, her cheeks pale, her very lips white, motionless and

rigid, every feature stamped by woe, she sat. Half frightened, I would

have taken her hand; but she shudderingly withdrew it, and strove to

collect herself. I entreated her to speak to me: "Not now," she replied,

"nor do you speak to me, my dear Lionel; you can say nothing, for you know

nothing. I will see you to-morrow; in the meantime, adieu!" She rose, and

walked from the room; but pausing at the door, and leaning against it, as

if her over-busy thoughts had taken from her the power of supporting

herself, she said, "Lord Raymond will probably return. Will you tell him

that he must excuse me to-day, for I am not well. I will see him to-morrow

if he wishes it, and you also. You had better return to London with him;

you can there make the enquiries agreed upon, concerning the Earl of

Windsor and visit me again to-morrow, before you proceed on your

journey--till then, farewell!"

She spoke falteringly, and concluded with a heavy sigh. I gave my assent to

her request; and she left me. I felt as if, from the order of the

systematic world, I had plunged into chaos, obscure, contrary,

unintelligible. That Raymond should marry Idris was more than ever

intolerable; yet my passion, though a giant from its birth, was too

strange, wild, and impracticable, for me to feel at once the misery I

perceived in Perdita. How should I act? She had not confided in me; I could

The Last Man