"Certainly!" I answered, with great astonishment. "It was undoubtedly
our first meeting. I am sure--"
"Can you swear it?" she interrupted, eagerly.
"Oh, no! I never swear! But I don't mind affirming," I said playfully,
hoping to give a less serious turn to the conversation.
To my horror Miss Latouche wrung her hands with the same expression of
hopeless suffering that I had seen once before.
"It is too cruel," she moaned, "after all this dreary waiting and
watching, to be met like this! Oh, my Beloved! I cannot bear it any
longer! Shall I never find you? Never! never!"
Her voice died away with a sob of despair, which effectually quenched my
capacity for making jokes.
"I hardly understand what you are alluding to," I said as nicely as I
could; "but if you will trust me, I promise to do anything that lies in
my power to help you."
"You promise!" she exclaimed, eagerly. "Mind, you are bound now! Bound
to my service!"
This was taking my polite offer of assistance rather more seriously than
I intended. Muttering some commonplace compliment, I begged to be
further enlightened.
"You will not repeat to any living soul the mysteries I am about to
disclose?" she began. "No, I need not ask! There is already sufficient
sympathy between us for me to be sure of your discretion. But remember,
if you ever feel tempted to disclose a single word of these hidden
matters, there are Unseen Powers who will amply avenge the profanation.
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