“Shall I be unhappy, then?” asked Lenora, without betraying the least emotion.

“Unhappy, because of the misery that awaits us,” replied her father.  “The blow that is about to fall on our house destroys all that we possess.  We must leave Grinselhof.”

The last words, which plainly confirmed her fears, seemed for a moment to appall the girl; but she repressed her feelings, and answered him, with increased courage,—­

“You are not dying this slow death because ill-fortune has overtaken you, my father; I know the unconquerable force of your character too well for that.  No! your heart is weak and yielding because I have to partake your poverty!  Bless you, bless you, for your affection!  But, tell me, father, if I were offered all the wealth of the world on condition that I would consent to see you suffer for a single day, what think you I would answer?”

Dumb with surprise, the poor man looked proudly at his daughter, and a gentle pressure of her hand was his sole reply.

“Ah!” continued she, “I would refuse all the treasures of earth and meet poverty without a sigh.  And you, father,—­if they offered you all the gold of America for your Lenora, what would you do?”

“How can you ask, child?” exclaimed her father; “do we sell our hearts’ blood for gold?”

“And so,” continued the girl, “our Maker has left us that which is dearest to us both in this world; why then should we mourn when we ought to be grateful for his compassionate care?  Take heart once more, dear father; no matter what may be our future lot,—­should we even be forced to take refuge in a hovel,—­nothing can harm us as long as we are not separated!”

Smiles, astonishment, admiration, and love, by turns flitted over the wan features of the poor old man, who seemed altogether unnerved and disconcerted by the painful denouement.  At length, after some moments of unbroken silence, he clasped his hands, and, gazing intensely into her eyes through his starting tears—­

“Lenora, Lenora! my child!” he exclaimed, “thou art not of earth—­thou art an angel!  The unselfish grandeur of thy soul unmans me completely!”

She saw she had conquered.  The light of courage was rekindled again in her father’s eye, and his lofty brow was lifted once more under the sentiment of dignity and self-devotion that struggled for life in his suffering heart.  Lenora looked at him with a heavenly smile, and exclaimed, rapturously,

“Up! up! father; come to my arms; away with grief!  United in each other’s love, fate itself is powerless in our presence!”

Father and daughter sprang into each other’s arms, and for a long while remained speechless, wrapped in a tender embrace; then, seating themselves with their hands interlocked, they were silent and absorbed, as if the world and its misery were altogether forgotten.