"MANY WATERS CANNOT QUENCH LOVE."
"Had we never loved sae kindly, Had we never loved sae blindly, Never met and never parted, We had ne'er been broken-hearted."
Ideal love does not ask conventional recognition. Love is not comfort,nor house, nor lands, nor the tame delights of use and wont. Love issacrifice. Always ask love to pour out its gifts upon the altar ofsacrifice. This is to make love divine. But fill the cup of love withcomfort, and certainty, and calm days of ease, and you make it poor andcheap. The zest of love is uncertainty. When love has to breast theHellespont it feels its most impassioned thrill. Let there be distance,and danger, and separation and tears in love. Let there be dullcertainty, and custom stales its dearest delights.
Love is worthiest when it asks no requital. Minnie knew that all wasover. She received short notes from Donald from time to time, and thenewspapers kept her informed of the progress of events. She clearlyperceived that if Donald did not give himself up, one of the two thingsmust happen--he would either be killed himself by the police, or hewould kill one or more of his pursuers, with the certainty of beingultimately caught, and probably hung. In her letters she implored him togive himself up, and not further incense the Government, which was notdisposed to be implacable. Finding all her entreaties unavailing, shedetermined to visit him. This was a bold resolution. It was carried outwithout hesitation. A more sophisticated nature would have asked--"Willthis seem modest?" Modesty itself never asks such a question. Modesty isnot conscious. There is no blush on its cheek. Minnie believed that ifshe could see Donald, she could persuade him to give himself up.
We won't tell you what Minnie wore, nor how she got to Marsden, nor whatfears she endured, lest the police, suspecting her as a stranger, shouldfollow her, and discover Donald's whereabouts.
Minnie reached Marsden in safety. It was in the afternoon.
She had written a brief note to Donald, telling him that she was coming.
The meeting took place in his father's house, the old people keepingguard, so as to be able to warn the fugitive should any strangerapproach the house."
"Donald!"
"Minnie!"
Then they shook hands.
A mutual instinct caused them to shrink from endearments. Donald wasbrown, thin, and weary-looking. His pistols were in his pockets, and hisrifle slung by his side. He had just come in from the woods.
Minnie looked at him, and the calmness which she thought she hadschooled herself to maintain deserted her. She burst into tears.
"Oh! Donald, Donald," she cried, "why will you not end this? If you everloved me, I beg of you to give yourself up, and stand your trial. Yourfriends will see that you get fair play. I never believed you guilty ofmurder. From what I can hear outside, nobody believes such a thing. Thatyou should have taken a life is dreadful--dreadful! but that you tookit in self-defence I fully believe. For God's sake, Donald, let thestruggle end. You will be killed; or, carried away by passion, you maytake another life, and then think of your terrible position. Can I moveyou? Once I could. I love you in this terrible hour as dearly as ever,and I would to God I could spare you what you must now suffer. But letme try to save you from yourself. Listen to reason. Give yourself up toMajor Dugas. Your friends will procure the best legal advice, and whoknows but that you may still have a future before you. Let me urge you,"and she went up to him, and laid her hand upon his arm, while the tearsstreamed down her cheeks.
Donald took her hand, and kissed it. He was greatly moved. "I can't,Minnie," he said. "I can't do it. I would never get a fair trial. I feelit. No, once arrested, they would either keep me in jail for ever, orhang me. I have baffled them now for nearly a year, and I can bafflethem still. They must give up at last."
"But have you not heard," Minnie said, "that they are bringing onfifteen more men from Quebec?"
"Oh, yes," said Donald, smiling sadly it seemed, "I am kept wellinformed, though they have arrested most of my friends. Let them bringon a hundred men. They can't take me without I'm betrayed."
"And I saw in the papers," said Minnie, with a look of horror, "that ifthese failed, they would employ bloodhounds against you."
Donald flushed. "I can't believe they would dare to do such a thing," hesaid. "Public opinion would not stand it. No, I'm not afraid of that."
"Then, must my visit be in vain, Donald?" Minnie pleaded.
"I may be acting unwisely, Minnie," Donald responded, "but I can't agreeto give myself up. I feel that I must fight it out as I am doing. Whatthe end will be God only knows. But I want you to forget me, Minnie.Forget me, and learn, by and by, to be happy in other companionships.You are young, and life is before you. I never thought we would end likethis. But it must be. I can't recall what has happened. I am an outlaw.Perhaps the scaffold awaits me. Your love would have blessed my life. Isuppose fate would not have it so."
"Donald, Donald." It was the voice of his mother, who now came quicklyin exclaiming, "they are coming towards the house; away to the bush;quick."
Donald took Minnie's hand and wrung it hard. He bent down and kissed herforehead. "God bless you," he said--"farewell."
Then he rushed out of the house, and disappeared from view in the woods.
It was a party of five policemen, armed with rifles.
They were too late!