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           Hewouldhaveme,"shecontinued,heraccentssinkingunderadeepconsciousnessofthedegradationoftheproposal,"followhimtothewilderness;gotothehabitationsoftheHurons;toremainthere:inshorttobecomehiswife!Speak,then,Alice;childofmyaffections!sisterofmylove!Andyou,too,MajorHeyward,aidmyweakreasonwithyourcounsel.Islifetobepurchasedbysuchasacrifice?Willyou,Alice,receiveitatmyhandsatsuchaprice?Andyou,Duncan,guideme;controlmebetweenyou;forIamwhollyyours."

           "WouldI!"echoedtheindignantandastonishedyouth."Cora!Cora!youjestwithourmisery!Namenotthehorridalternativeagain;thethoughtitselfisworsethanathousanddeaths."

           "Thatsuchwouldbeyouranswer,Iwellknew!"exclaimedCora,hercheeksflushing,andherdarkeyesoncemoresparklingwiththelingeringemotionsofawoman."WhatsaysmyAlice?forherwillIsubmitwithoutanothermurmur."

           AlthoughbothHeywardandCoralistenedwithpainfulsuspenseandthedeepestattention,nosoundswereheardinreply.ItappearedasifthedelicateandsensitiveformofAlicewouldshrinkintoitself,asshelistenedtothisproposal.Herarmshadfallenlengthwisebeforeher,thefingersmovinginslightconvulsions;herheaddroppeduponherbosom,andherwholepersonseemedsuspendedagainstthetree,lookinglikesomebeautifulemblemofthewoundeddelicacyofhersex,devoidofanimation,andyetkeenlyconscious