The Argosy — page 132: what you’re looking at

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120 Princess Eleanor. “The more shame for them! It is surely no fault of mine if they are so mean. But, Emest, I do not care for those who do not judge man by his true worth ; who despise me if I give my hand to one who is not of themselves. I tell you plainly, Ernest,” and as I said so I rose, “I would rather become poor and unknown as a peasant-girl, than renounce Walter. What else do I want if I have both him and you 2?” “Ein hiittchen nur, auf griner Flur!” Ernest said, mockingly- “ Eleanor, you do not know what it is to be poor. You have not even an idea how much the dress is worth you so carelessly trail on the ground. I feel as if I were speaking to a foolish child. Eleanor, this is a thing not to be thought of.” “ But I tell you, Emest, that I can never cease thinking of it all my life. I never knew you value outward qualities more than real ones ; and if these are to be considered, have.you not a letter in your hand which speaks volumes in Herr Impach’s favour? Had Werdan been as rich as Argent, you would not have hesitated a moment in giving me to him. Of course, you knew nothing then—but when you com- pare the two, does not Walter stand before us in brilliant light, whilst Werdan shrinks into hideous darkness. Can you be angry with a young girl who, in her leisure hours, compares the man whose every word implies a noble heart, with him who, besides his birth, can boast of nothing else on earth?” ‘‘And have you done that, Eleanor? Fool that I was to trust you to this young man!” “Stop, brother! I give you my word that, until the moment when we all gave Walter up as lost, I never dreamed that my heart was his. No ; until then I was all you could wish me to be. Had I known how things stood before, I should have tried to conquer this love of mine, for then I might have deemed it unworthy of me. Now, brother,” I concluded in a whisper, as I threw my arms round his neck, “now it is too late; for now I am L proud’ of my love, and consider it the purpose of my life.” “‘Poor child, and yet you must renounce it.” “ Renounce, Ernest? You utter a word which for me has no ex- istence. Let me tell you this: I love Walter so much that if to-morrow he said, ‘ Follow me into the furthermost part of the world,’ I should most certainly do it, though not without having first knelt day and night before you, Ernest, to obtain your consent. Be moved by me, brother You cannot deny me long, for I feel that my reasons are inexhaustible —my prayers will not cease but with my life—you cannot resist me in the end.” In silence Ernest paced the room, so absorbed in thought that he took books from the shelves, opened them without knowing what he did, and then put them back in some wrong vplace. \ His) silence comicbooks.com