u go?" said Hope, sternly. Almost before the
words were spoken, Enderby had disappeared at the further end of the
aisle.

"Patience, Margaret! A little patience, my dear sister. All may be
well; all must be well for such as you; but I mean that I trust all may
be repaired. He has been wrought upon by some bad influence--"

"Then all is over. If, knowing me as he did--. But, Edward, do not
speak to me. Go: leave me! I cannot speak another word now--"

"I cannot leave you here. This is no place for you. Think of your
sister, Margaret. You will do nothing to alarm her. If she were to see
you now--."

Margaret raised herself; took her brother's arm, and went out into the
air. No one was near.

"Now leave me, brother. I must be alone. I will walk here, and think
what I must do. But how can I know, when all is made such a mystery?
Oh, brother, tell me what I ought to do!"

"Calm yourself now. Command yourself; for this day. You, innocent as
you are, may well do so. If I had such a conscience as yours--if I were
only in your place, Margaret--if I had nothing to bear but wrongs, I
would thank Heaven as Heaven was never yet thanked."

"You, Edward!"

"If the universe heaped injuries upon me, they should not crush me. If
I had a self-respect like yours, I would lift my head to the stars."

"You, Edward!"

"Margaret, wretched as you are, your misery is nothing to mine. Have
pity upon me, and command yourself. For my sake and your sister's, look
and act like yourself, and hope peacefully, trust steadily, that all
will yet be right."

"It cannot be that you have wronged me, brother. You sent him from me,
I know; and that was unkind: but you could never really wrong any one."

"I never meant it. I honour you, and would protect you--I will protect
you as a brother should. Only do not say again that you are forsaken.
It would break our hearts to hear you say that again."

"I will not. And I will try to be for to-day as if nothing had
happened: but I promise no more than to endeavour--I am so bewildered!"

"Then I will leave you. I shall not be far off. No one shall come to
disturb you."

There is, perhaps, no mood of mind in which it is impossible for the
sweet ministrations of nature to be accepted. Even now, as Margaret
stood on the river-bank, the influences of the scene flowed in upon her.
The operations of thought were quickened, and she was presently
convinced that the next time she