had for months, and afterwards
when he had gone away, lay on the sofa sleeping more soundly than if
she had taken all the opiates in the world. Then I slipped away to come
to you, my dearest friend. And now say a kind word to me--or if it
can't be kind, an angry one, anything is better than to have you sit on
the sofa so still and silent, with your handkerchief pressed to your
face, so that I can't even see what sort of expression my best friend
wears when she hears of my poor child's happiness."

The widow withdrew her handkerchief and revealed eyes streaming with
tears, which looked at him with a singular expression of mingled
indignation and kindness. "You're an old hypocrite," she said, drying
her lashes. "I'm not what you call me, your best friend, or you would
not have misunderstood and slandered me to my face, and to those too
lovers, as if I sat here with the air of the judge of a supreme
spiritual court, to whom it would be dangerous to bring news of such an
engagement. Fie! shame on you for a faint-hearted fellow. You're a weak
Christian indeed, if you expect to find in your fellow mortal a heart
full of bigotry and intolerance, instead of one submissive to God's
decree and accepting with gratitude and hope whatever he sends--If I
can't help crying, not only from joy and thankfulness that our Leah is
saved, but also with anger toward you, you reprobate, make amends for
your sin by taking the godless doctor my congratulations this very day,
and inviting him to dine here tomorrow; one of a party of four; do you
understand? And moreover give me your word of honor, that I'm better
than my reputation, and no ossified theologian. Don't you know my dear
friend, that God's ways are wonderful? Suppose he intends to draw to
himself these two hearts, that neither know nor desire to know him, by
this circuitous way: first leading them to each other, and causing them
to experience all the joys and sorrows of married life, in order, hand
in hand and heart to heart, to guide them back to their heavenly
father? There's no more influential home mission than matrimony, for
two honest people, of course, and that the doctor, with all his
blindness, has an honest soul, we've never doubted. So yes and amen,
dear friend, and because it's such a day of joy, all sins must be
forgiven. As a token that I bear no malice--come, dear father of the
future bride, and let her mother embrace you."

"You're a blessed angel right out of heaven