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Valancourt waited impatiently for the conclusion of the sentence,

but the words died on her lips Her eyes, however, reflected all the

emotions of her heart Valancourt passed, in an instant, from the

impatience of despair, to that of joy and tenderness 'O Emily!' he

exclaimed, 'my own Emily--teach me to sustain this moment! Let me seal

it as the most sacred of my life!'

He pressed her hand to his lips, it was cold and tre

her eyes, he saw the paleness of her countenance Tears came to her

relief, and Valancourt watched in anxious silence over her In a few

h her tears,

said, 'Can you excuse this weakness? My spirits have not yet, I believe,

recovered from the shock they lately received'

'I cannot excuse myself,' said Valancourt, 'but I will forbear to renew

the subject, which itate them, now that I can

leave you with the sweet certainty of possessing your esteeain spoke of himself 'You know

not,' said he, 'the many anxious hours I have passed near you lately,

when you believed ht, far

away I have wandered, near the chateau, in the still hours of the

night, when no eye could observe htful to knoas so

near you, and there was soht,