"I said it was
death, didn't I? Well, it's worse than death, I suppose; but what
matter? You can't be more lost to me now than you were already.
This is THY doing, Friend Eli," he continued, turning to the old
man, with a sneering emphasis on the "THY." "I hope thee's
satisfied with thy work!"
Here he burst into a bitter, mocking laugh, which it chilled
Asenath's blood to hear.
The old man turned pale. "Come away, child!" said he, tugging at
her arm. But she stood firm, strengthened for the moment by a
solemn feeling of duty which trampled down her pain.
"Richard," she said, with the music of an immeasurable sorrow in
her voice, "oh, Richard, what has thee done? Where the Lord
commands resignation, thee has been rebellious; where he chasteneth
to purify, thee turns blindly to sin. I had not expected this of
thee, Richard; I thought thy regard for me was of the kind which
would have helped and uplifted thee,--not through me, as an
unworthy object, but through the hopes and the pure desires of thy
own heart. I expected that thee would so act as to justify what I
felt towards thee, not to make my affection a reproach,--oh,
Richard, not to cast over my heart the shadow of thy sin!"
The wretched young man supported himself against the post of an
awning, buried his face in his hands, and wept passionately.
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