Page:The Necromancer, or, The Tale of the Black Forest Vol. 2.djvu/132

 father to her marriage with the secretary, might it cost whatever it would. Her gratitude knew no bounds, she almost suffocated me by her endearments, and left me with these words:"

"My happiness, my life, and my honor, are in your power; without your assistance destruction will seize me, and eternal misery will be my dreadful lot."

"As long as my blood was heated I thought no obstacle too arduous, but after more cool deliberation, I soon grew sensible that I had engaged in a very difficult undertaking: By what natural means could the father of the seduced girl be persuaded to sanction her love ? How was it possible to shake the firm resolution of a rigorous head-strong man, if a medium congenial to his manner of thinking was not to be employed, which might surprise and prompt him to come to our terms, for the sake of his own interest. This medium was no other than what he himself had sug-