or deed, can
come up to the degradation I have suffered for years, at being a
party to a deceit, even for a good end--"

"For a good end!--Nay! what next?"

The taunting contempt with which Mr Bradshaw spoke these words almost
surprised himself by what he imagined must be its successful power of
withering; but in spite of it, Mr Benson lifted his grave eyes to Mr
Bradshaw's countenance, and repeated:

"For a good end. The end was not, as perhaps you consider it to have
been, to obtain her admission into your family--nor yet to put her in
the way of gaining her livelihood; my sister and I would willingly
have shared what we have with her; it was our intention to do so at
first, if not for any length of time, at least as long as her health
might require it. Why I advised (perhaps I only yielded to advice)
a change of name--an assumption of a false state of widowhood--was
because I earnestly desired to place her in circumstances in which
she might work out her self-redemption; and you, sir, know how
terribly the world goes against all such as have sinned as Ruth did.
She was so young, too."

"You mistake, sir; my acquaintance has not lain so much among that
class of sinners as to give me much experience of the way in which
they are treated. But, judging from what I have seen, I should say
they meet with full as much leniency as they deserve; and supposing
they do not--I know there are plenty of sickly sentimentalists just
now who reserve all their interest and regard for criminals--why
not pick out one of these to help you in your task of washing the
blackamoor white? Why choose me to be imposed upon--my household into
which to intrude your protegee? Why were my innocent children to be
exposed to corruption? I say," said Mr Bradshaw, stamping his foot,
"how dared you come into this house, where you were looked upon as a
minister of religion, with a lie in your mouth? How dared you single
me out, of all people, to be gulled and deceived, and pointed at
through the town as the person who had taken an abandoned woman into
his house to teach his daughters?"

"I own my deceit was wrong and faithless."

"Yes! you can own it, now it is found out! There is small merit in
that, I think!"

"Sir! I claim no merit. I take shame to myself. I did not single you
out. You applied to me with your proposal that Ruth should be your
children's governess."

"Pah!"

"And the temptation was too great-- No! I will not say that--but