sank to a tender tone as he addressed her in her recitation, or she caught his eye resting upon her face when she raised it in inquiry to his own, while following his reading, she forgot for a moment her peculiar fate and felt a thrill of youthful love's first dream, but it was soon forgotten in her life-long musings. CHAPTER XXII. "If she be a traitor, Why so am I; we have still slept together, Still we were coupled and inseparable."-SHAKSPEARE. WHEN Miss Ingemann read Zoë's outburst of feeling in her theme, she was shocked and almost discouraged; but being both strong and decided in character, and, at the same time, conscientious and faithful, so far as she saw her duty, she determined to make a strenuous effort to cure her pupil of her extravagant fancies and willful opposition to reasonable restraint. She sent for her to her room. Zoë knew what was coming, but she had got to the point, at last, where a determined purpose and strong conviction of being in the path marked out for her by God and her nature will bring even the most plastic and gentle. Therefore, with head unusually erect and eye expressing courage and enthusiasm, she stood before her teacher. "Miss Zoe," said Miss Ingemann, "here is your theme. Its expression does not come within the limits of propriety and good sense, and therefore we cannot accept it from you. We require you to re-write it in a mode consonant to what you know is our reasonable expectation." "Excuse me, Miss Ingemann, I cannot do it." "What do you mean, Miss Zoë? That you intend a willful disobedience to the rules of this establishment?" ( 300 ) "I have no such willful intention. I have simply written my true feelings and thoughts, and I cannot falsify them by a different expression." "You amaze me by your presumption. I demand of you a more subdued and rational composition. The thoughts are extravagant and fanatical, and the expression wild and highly improper, and we cannot permit such within these walls. This is my unalterable determination," and Miss Ingemann arose and stood at her full height. Zoë was completely roused, and she burst forth like a torrent to the astonishment of her teacher, who had never seen her under such excitement. “Madam, I have uttered what is in me, and woe be unto my soul if I turn aside the inspiration of God into another channel at the bidding of human lips! I read yesterday in a journal from that far-off land which God opened, that his children might have one abiding-place for freedom to worship God according to His and nature's laws, that her ministers, instead of being guides to lead and light along the people to the millennial day, enchain their minds each five years by a promise to utter nothing but what its creeds of ages gone by have ordered. So they squeeze, and trammel, and wind their thoughts like serpents, ever striving to be free, around a time-worn, bloody, lying parchment. Only now and then one frees himself, so as to interpret the Word of God as He demands of the growing powers he gave him. But hark! a hiss and sting, and the poor timid spirit coils himself again in meek submission to the dismal parchment, whispering, 'I said it not,' or, if I did, 'I meant the same as you!" And what is the consequence? Why, sins of every shape and hue start rampant round them, emboldened by the falsehood and treachery of the priests and prophets, scattering misery and darkness, and hurling to perdition millions whom God has given into their keeping. No, madam, even in my simple school-girl theme, I will take warning of this fearful doom. I change it not." "What heroics are these?" said Miss Ingemann, indignant and astonished; then paused to look critically into Zoë's face to see if she were not insane. Her pupil knew well that gaze, and it always turned her into stone. She simply bowed and left the room. Once out of her sight, she ran like lightning into her apartment, where she found Hilda. "What is the matter?" said she, alarmed at seeing Zoë's excited face. "The matter is, that I am going to sail to-morrow for Santa Cruz." "Why, what has happened? tell me." "Hilda, I have lived entrammeled long enough. My chains gall me to the point of desperation. God and my conscience command me hence, and I obey them. The ship departs to-morrow, and I shall take passage in her." "But, Zoë, you cannot go alone. You never have been away from this retreat, and think how you would feel upon the deep or among uncongenial strangers!" "Hilda, you know me not. I can do anything. I have powers within me that can shake the nations, ay, and shall do it too; how much more guide my own way across the waters. In God I trust. He will watch over me." “O Zoë! I know you better than you think. I have noted your genius and rapt, poetic soarings, so different from the working of my mind, and I have striven to reveal them to our teacher, but your own failure of response to my encomiums by ever wearing before her your stony face, has made them seem to her only like my childish preference for you without a base of truth. I know too, that your broad vision takes in the practical, as required within our little circle, for we, your schoolmates, ever come to you for a decision upon our little tastes and decorations. But, darling, you are not strong as we are, and one day your spirits rise to the mountain top in exultation, and the next fall into the abyss below. Does she not aid and soothe thee then, thy own strong Hilda, of this common, naughty earth-sphere? Zoë, how canst thou live without me, or I without thee, if thou art far away?" and she began to weep. "Hilda! my own, my good and true, who hast borne with such meek yet cheerful patience with my wayward temper, and hast had ever a word and smile of gladness for my strange woe, the cause of which I hardly know of, though it pervades my being, checking each gladsome thought ere it is fully formed, casting a shadow over each smile ere it shines forth to brighten my dull face, thinkest thou I love thee not? O my friend! though a strange gulf, riven not by me but by our Maker, for I have vainly striven all these years to cross it, to cover it up, or make believe that it existed not, divides our deepest souls, yet are you dear to me as my own life. When you are not by, I am restless and forlorn, I gaze into the distance to catch the first glimpse of your beloved form, and strain my ear for quick intelligence of her who is my sunshine, my tower of strength to lean upon, the interpreter of my thoughts to the stern world, which chills them ere they are expressed by its cold glitter and its icy breath. I know not how life can be life without thee, but God points with direct, commanding index towards the great ocean, and I go; for in him I live, and move, and have my being in a way which seems to me most peculiar, and if I disobey his counsel, not I alone but the whole universe is jostled from its orbit. Of this I must say no more; but, O Hilda! pray that I may have strength and guidance for my strange destiny." "Zoë, my life, my inspiration, guide, restraint, and tenderest friend! I go with thee. Whatever betide thee shall be shared by me, so far as God permits. Thou shalt not leave me to the desolation which would come over my lot unshared by thee, my childhood's mate, the sharer of my |