Kilmeny of the Orchard 
     
    
   
   
    
     terror and incredulity, as if he had been 
     
     checked in his murderous purpose by 
     
     some supernatural interposition. The 
     
     axe, lying at his feet where he had 
     
     dropped it in his unutterable consterna- 
     
     tion on hearing Kilmeny’s cry, told the 
     
     Whole tale. But before Eric could utter 
     
     a word Neil turned, with a cry more like 
     
     that of an animal than a human being, and 
     
     fled like a hunted creature into the shadow 
     
     of the spruce wood. 
     
    

    
     A moment later Kilmeny, her lovely 
     
     face dewed with tears and sunned over 
     
     with smiles, flung herself on Eric’s breast. 
     
    

    
     “ Oh, Eric, I can speak,—I can speak! 
     
     Oh, it is so wonderful! Eric, I 10ve you- 
     
     I love you! ”' 
     
    
   
   
    
     24o