But the chief joy of the dell was in the little stream , which seemed like the presence of a blissful child , with nothing earthly to do save to babble merrily and disport itself , and make every living soul its playfellow , and throw the sunny gleams of its spirit upon all . `` Here , here is the spot ! '' cried the two lovers with one voice , as they reached a level space on the brink of a small cascade . `` This glen was made on purpose for our Temple ! '' `` And the glad song of the brook will be always in our ears , '' said Lilias Fay . `` And its long melody shall sing the bliss of our lifetime , '' said Adam Forrester . `` Ye must build no Temple here ! '' murmured their dismal companion . And there again was the old lunatic , standing just on the spot where they meant to rear their lightsome dome , and looking like the embodied symbol of some great woe , that , in forgotten days , had happened there . And , alas ! there had been woe , nor that alone . A young man , more than a hundred years before , had lured hither a girl that loved him , and on this spot had murdered her , and washed his bloody hands in the stream which sung so merrily . And ever since , the victim 's death-shrieks were often heard to echo between the cliffs . `` And see ! '' cried old Gascoigne , `` is the stream yet pure from the stain of the murderer 's hands ? '' `` Methinks it has a tinge of blood , '' faintly answered the Lily ; and being as slight as the gossamer , she trembled and clung to her lover 's arm , whispering , `` let us flee from this dreadful vale ! '' `` Come , then , '' said Adam Forrester , as cheerily as he could ; `` we shall soon find a happier spot . '' They set forth again , young Pilgrims on that quest which millions -- which every child of Earth -- has tried in turn . And were the Lily and her lover to be more fortunate than all those millions ? For a long time , it seemed not so .
The dismal shape of the old lunatic still glided behind them ; and for every spot that looked lovely in their eyes , he had some legend of human wrong or suffering , so miserably sad , that his auditors could never afterwards connect the idea of joy with the place where it had XXXXX .
Come build happened loved reached sing standing sung trembled washed