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 thou still hope to possess the fair-haired girl with her wide and rich inheritance?"

"I have no such hope," answered Morton calmly.

"And for whom then hast thou ventured to do this great thing, to seek to rend the prey from, the valiant, to bring forth food from the den of the lion, and to extract sweetness from the maw of the devourer?—For whose sake hast thou undertaken to read this riddle, more hard than Sampson's?"

"For Lord Evandale's and that of his bride," replied Morton firmly. "Think better of mankind, Mr Balfour, and believe there are some who are willing to sacrifice their happiness to that of others."

"Then, as my soul liveth," replied Balfour, "thou art, to wear beard, and back a horse, and draw a sword, the tamest and most galless puppet that ever sustained injury unavenged. What! thou wouldst help that accursed Evandale to the arms of the woman that thou lovest?—thou wouldst