AndIturnedroundtolookattheoldhall。Therewaslittlebesidesthechimneysvisibleabovemycontractedhorizon。Iwalkedbacktogetabetterviewofit。Whenitroseinsight，Istoodstillamomenttolook，andthencontinuedmovingtowardsthegloomyobjectofattraction。Somethingcalledmenearer——nearerstill——andwhynot，pray？MightInotfindmorebenefitinthecontemplationofthatvenerablepilewiththefullmooninthecloudlessheavenshiningsocalmlyaboveit——withthatwarmyellowlustrepeculiartoanAugustnight——andthemistressofmysoulwithin，thaninreturningtomyhomewhereallcomparativelywaslight，andlife，andcheerfulness，andthereforeinimicaltomeinmypresentframeofmind，——andthemoresothatitsinmatesallweremoreorlessimbuedwiththatdetestablebelieftheverythoughtofwhichmademybloodboilinmyveins——andhowcouldIenduretohearitopenlydeclared——orcautiouslyinsinuated——whichwasworse？——Ihadhadtroubleenoughalready，withsomebabblingfiendthatwouldkeepwhisperinginmyear，`Itmaybetrue，’tillIhadshoutedaloud，`Itisfalse！Idefyyoutomakemesupposeit！’
Icouldseetheredfirelightdimlygleamingfromherparlourwindow。Iwentuptothegardenwall，andstoodleaningoverit，withmyeyesfixeduponthelattice，wonderingwhatshewasdoing，thinking，orsufferingnow，andwishingIcouldspeaktoherbutoneword，orevencatchoneglimpseofher，beforeIwent。
Ihadnotthuslooked，andwished，andwonderedlong，beforeI
vaultedoverthebarrier，unabletoresistthetemptationoftakingoneglancethroughthewindow，justtoseeifsheweremorecomposedthanwhenweparted；——andifIfoundherstillindeepdistress，perhapsImightventuretoattemptawordofcomfort——toutteroneofthemanythingsI
shouldhavesaidbefore，insteadofaggravatinghersufferingsbymystupidimpetuosity。Ilooked。Herchairwasvacant：sowastheroom。Butatthatmomentsomeoneopenedtheouterdoor，andavoice——hervoice——said，——