Page:Tales of my landlord (Volume 4).djvu/335

 me—I know you cannot love me; nervous distress, so strong as to conjure up the appearance of the dead or absent, indicates a predilection too powerful to give way to friendship and gratitude alone. But were it otherwise, the dye is now cast."

As he spoke thus, Cuddie burst into the room, terror and haste in his countenance. "O, my Lord, hide yoursel! they hae beset the outlets o' the house," was his first exclamation.

"They? Who?" said Lord Evandale.

"A party of horse, headed by Basil Olifant," answered Cuddie.

"O, hide yourself, my Lord!" echoed Edith, in an agony of terror.

"I will not, by Heaven!" answered Lord Evandale. "What right has the villain to assail me or stop my passage? I will make my way were he backed by a regiment; tell Halliday and Hunter to get out the horses—And now farewell, Edith." He clasped her in his arms, and kissed her tenderly; then, bursting from his sister,