"With pleasure, dearest," replied her suitor.
"And nothing can ever come between us now? Nothing can part us?"
"Nothing but death," was the reply.
A shade of sadness passed momentarily over the girl's features as she asked, "Must it all end with that?"
"Death ends everything," replied the young man: "that is to say, everything earthly."
"Then is there no love beyond the grave?" asked Helen.
"Oh! let us hope so," responded our artist. "I, for one, have the very strongest persuasion that there is. Love such as ours is not merely of earth."
"Dear, dear Van!" cried the maiden, in ecstasy, "I will believe all you tell me. I know nothing, but I feel you are right. Yes, we shall still continue to love even beyond the grave. Oh! Van, how have I deserved all this happiness?"
"Your sweetness, your goodness, your beauty, your love, amply counterpoise anything I can give you, my angel," said her lover.
"How kind you are to talk like that Van! How you must love me to go against the wishes of your friends and leave everything and everybody for me!" exclaimed the girl. Then added, "You are quite sure that you won't be ashamed of me before all the grand people you will meet? That you will be able to pardon any little slip of the tongue, my country manners, and everything else?"