l, will judge me more tenderly than men--but I did wrong in a
way which you cannot understand yet" (she saw the red flush come into
his cheek, and it stung her as the first token of that shame which
was to be his portion through life)--"in a way people never forget,
never forgive. You will hear me called the hardest names that ever
can be thrown at women--I have been, to-day; and, my child, you
must bear it patiently, because they will be partly true. Never get
confused, by your love for me, into thinking that what I did was
right.--Where was I?" said she, suddenly faltering, and forgetting
all she had said and all she had got to say; and then, seeing
Leonard's face of wonder, and burning shame and indignation, she went
on more rapidly, as fearing lest her strength should fail before she
had ended.

"And, Leonard," continued she, in a trembling, sad voice, "this is
not all. The punishment of punishments lies awaiting me still. It is
to see you suffer for my wrongdoing. Yes, darling! they will speak
shameful things of you, poor innocent child! as well as of me, who
am guilty. They will throw it in your teeth through life, that your
mother was never married--was not married when you were born--"

"Were not you married? Are not you a widow?" asked he abruptly, for
the first time getting anything like a clear idea of the real state
of the case.

"No! May God forgive me, and help me!" exclaimed she, as she saw a
strange look of repugnance cloud over the boy's face, and felt a
slight motion on his part to extricate himself from her hold. It
was as slight, as transient as it could be--over in an instant. But
she had taken her hands away, and covered up her face with them as
quickly--covered up her face in shame before her child; and in the
bitterness of her heart she was wailing out, "Oh, would to God I had
died--that I had died as a baby--that I had died as a little baby
hanging at my mother's breast!"

"Mother," said Leonard, timidly putting his hand on her arm; but she
shrunk from him, and continued her low, passionate wailing. "Mother,"
said he, after a pause, coming nearer, though she saw it not--"mammy
darling," said he, using the caressing name, which he had been trying
to drop as not sufficiently manly, "mammy, my own, own dear, dear,
darling mother, I don't believe them--I don't, I don't, I don't, I
don't!" He broke out into a wild burst of crying as he said this. In
a moment her arms were round the poor boy, and