The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 291: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

274 REYNOLDS’ WORKS mured poor Florina, gazing upon him through her tears. ‘““ Leave me, forget this moment of weakness on my part.” “You bid me leave you?” said Deveril, in a mournful voice and with a reproachtul look. ‘“‘ What, leave you at a moment when it appeared as if Heaven itself were opening above me? ”’ “Oh, 1f I could tell you all I wish to say,” exclaimed Florina, with more passionate vehemence than she had ever shown in her life before, “it would relieve my heart. But no, I dare not, I dare not. Leave me.”’ ‘And if I leave you thus, are we ever to meet again? ”’ asked Deveril, profoundly afflicted. Florina hastily wiped away the tears from her eyes, and bending her looks upon the young man, she was about to put forth all the energies of maiden firmness and tell him that 1t were indeed better they should part to meet no more, when all that firmness melted rapidly away as she gazed upon the exquisite beauty of Deveril’s countenance, a beauty which never had seemed more fascinating to her view than at this moment when every feature expressed love, adoration, sorrow, and despair. “Mr. Deveril,’’ she said, “I cannot give utterance to what I was about to say, for 1t was an injunction that would have sealed my unhappiness.” ‘* And mine also, if 1t were to have bidden me leave you,” he immediately rejoined, his countenance lighting up with the animation of hope and bliss. “ Say, beautiful lady, has not everything which has just taken place gone too far to be recalled, have not secrets been revealed which may never be consigned back to oblivion, and have not two hearts lifted the veil from their innermost sanctuaries? Oh, do not tell me that what is done you could wish to be undone! No, recall not a single gesture nor a single look. To do so were to prove far more cruel than you are capable of proving; it would have been to lift me on angel wings high above the common things of earth, merely to plunge me deep down into an abyss of darkness and despair.” - William Deveril had spoken in that tone of mingled rapture, earnestness, hope, and suspense which was full of love’s ineffable but varied music, and can be listened to by no young maiden with impunity, so that even if Florina had been far more solemnly and sacredly pledged by vows CONNIE OO KS (E(0)