e."

She rose at once, silently, with a glance at her two companions. They had
not spoken since close upon an hour. When first the news came the old
woman on the bed had raised herself upon her elbow, struggled a moment for
utterance, and burst into a paean of triumphant hatred, horrible to hear.
Mrs. Trevarthen sat like one stunned. "Hush 'ee, Sarah! Hush 'ee, that's
a good soul!" she murmured once and again in feeble protest. At length
Hester, unable to endure it longer, had risen, taken the invalid by one
shoulder and forced her gently back upon the pillow.

"Tell me to go," she said, "and I will leave you and not return. But to
more of this I will not listen. I believed you an ill-used woman; but you
are far less wronged than wicked if you can rejoice in the death of a
child."

Since then the invalid had lain quiet, staring up at the ceiling. She did
not know--nor did Mrs. Trevarthen know--whose letter Hester held in her
hand. But now, as Hester moved towards the door, a weak voice from the
bed entreated her--

"You won't leave me! I didn't mean that about the child--I didn't,
really!"

"She didn't mean it," echoed Mrs. Trevarthen.

"I know--I know," said Hester, and stretched out both arms in sudden
weariness, almost despair. "But oh! why in this world of burdens can we
not cast away hate, the worst and wilfullest?"

It seemed to her that in her own mind during these few weeks a light had
been steadily growing, illuminating many things she had been wont to
puzzle over or habitually to pass by as teasing and obscure. She saw the
whole world constructed on one purpose, that all living creatures should
love and help one another to be happy. Even such a man as Rosewarne found
a place in it, as one to be pitied because he erred against this light.
Yes, and even the death of this child had a place in the scheme, since,
calling for pity, it called for one of the divinest exercises of love.
She marvelled, as she crossed in the ferry-boat, why the passengers, one
and all, discussed it as a direct visitation upon Rosewarne, as though
Rosewarne had offended against some agreement in which they and God
Almighty stood together, and they had left the fellow in God's hands with
a confidence which yet allowed them room to admire the dramatic neatness
of His methods. She longed to tell them that they were all mistaken, and
her eyes sought old Daddo's, who alone took no part in this talk.
But old Daddo pulled hi