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himself told me that I was to consider myself a prisoner on parole, and that the first sign of my endeavouring to escape would cause me to be sent to one of the hospitals for incurables. Besides, I did not know the geography of the country, and even were I to try and find my way back, I should be discovered long before I had reached the pass over which I had come. How then could I hope to be able to take Arowhena with me? For days and days I turned these difficulties over in my mind, and at last hit upon as wild a plan as was ever suggested by extremity. This was to meet the second difficulty: the first gave me less uneasiness, for when Arowhena and I next met after our interview in the garden I could see that she had suffered not less acutely than myself.

I resolved that I would have another interview with her—the last for the present—that I would then leave her, and set to work upon maturing my plan as fast as possible. We got a chance of being alone together, and then I gave myself the loose rein, and told her how passionately and devotedly I loved her. She said but little in return, but her tears (which I could hardly help answering with my own) and the little she did say were quite enough to show me that I should meet with no obstacle from her. Then I put the case before her, that our marriage in Erewhon was out of the question, and asked her whether she would run a great and terrible risk which we should share in common, if in case of success I could take her to my own people, to the home of my mother and sisters, who would be always good to her, and would treat her as one of themselves. At the same time I pointed out that the chances of failure were far greater than those of suc-