The  sight  of  me  is  a  continual  torture  to  you.  I  feel
this  more  and  more.  I  must  flee  from  your  presence,
and  thus  give  you  the  only  relief  in  my  power.  In  a
few  days  I  sail  for  Europe.  O  Marion,  Marion!  —
still  too  dear !  would  that  I  could  make  you  free !
Would  that "

Marion  welcomed  the  pain  this  occasioned.  Suffering
was  a  penance  which  her  soul  coveted.  And  when,  on
passing  the  door,  she  caught  the  ravings  of  delirium ;
when  she  heard  Henry  talking  wildly  of  his  intended
departure  ;  passionately  calling  upon  her  name  ;  adjur-
ing her  to  be  merciful ;  to  grant  him  but  one  forgiving
look,  and  he  would  then  go  from  her,  and  die  content-
edly;—  when  she  listened  to  all  this  again  and  again,
nhe  only  laid  her  white  hands  across  her  throbbing
bosom,  and  meekly  whispered,  "  I  deserve  it  all."

As  the  sufferer  often  earnestly  begged  to  see  Maurice
Vinton,  Mrs.  Sunderland  at  length  sent  him  a  letter,
informing  him  of  her  son's  dangerous  sickness,  and  beg-
ging him,  if  possible,  to  come  to  them.  With  this
request  he  complied  without  an  hour's  delay.
The  subdued  meeting  between  him  and  Marion  was
in  striking  contrast  with  their  last.  He  had  looked  for
help  to  the  everlasting  hills,  and  was  borne  high  above
the  range  of  earthly  joys  and  sorrows.  And  from  her
idolatrous  heart,  the  confronting  and  avenging  face  of
death  had  suddenly  and  forever  crushed  out  that  ab-
sorbing passion,  which  she  could  no  longer  innocently
indulge.  Henceforward  Maurice  and  Henry  had  changed


OR,   HIGHER   THAN   HAPPINESS.  439

places  in  her  heart.  The  lover  was  now  the  friend  and
brother.
They  did  not  meet  till  after  he  had  seen  the  invalid.
