came warm upon his cheek. He trembled — He! the lofty, the mysterious Zanoni, who seemed to stand aloof from his race. With a deep and burning sigh, he murmured, "Viola, I love thee! Oh!" he continued, passionately, and, releasing his hold, he threw himself abruptly at her feet, "I no more command; — as woman should be wooed, I woo thee. From the first glance of those eyes — from the first sound of thy voice, thou becamest too fatally dear to me. Thou speakest of fascination — it lives and it breathes in thee! I fled from Naples to fly from thy presence — it pursued me. Months, years passed, and thy sweet face still shone upon my heart. I returned, because I pictured thee alone and sorrowful in the world: and knew that dangers, from which I might save thee, were gathering near thee and around. Beautiful Soul! whose leaves I have read with reverence, it was for thy sake, thine alone, that I would have given thee to one who might make thee happier on earth than I can. Viola! Viola! thou knowest not — never canst thou know — how dear thou art to me!
It is in vain to seek for words to describe the delight — the proud, the full, the complete, and the entire delight — that filled the heart of the Neapolitan. He whom she had considered too lofty even for love — more humble to her than those she had half-despised! She was silent, but her eyes spoke to him; and then slowly, as aware, at last, that the human love had advanced on the ideal, she shrank into the terrors of a modest and virtuous nature. She did not dare — she did not dream to ask him the question she had so fearlessly made to
