at it was some miserable ruinous delusion that
hindered my confessing; but the odd thing was, that the moment any one
opened my door, I forgot all about it, resolutions and all, and was
myself again.'

'Then surely--surely you left that horror with the solitude?'

'Yes, till lately; but when it did come back, I could not be sure what
was recollection of fact, and what of my own fancy;' and he drew his
brows together in painful effort. 'Did I know who did it, or did I
only guess?'

'You came to a right conclusion, and would not let me act on it.'

'And I really did write the receipt, and not dream it?'

'That receipt has been in my hand. It was what has brought you here.'
And now to hearing ears, Dr. May went over the narrative; and Leonard
stood up under the little lamp in the roof of the carriage to read the
papers.

'I recollect--I understand,' he said, presently, and sat down, grave
and meditative--no longer dreamy, but going over events, which had at
last acquired assurance to his memory from external circumstances.
Presently his fingers were clasped together over his face, his head
bent, and then he looked up, and said, 'Do they know it--my sister and
brother?'

'No. We would not write till you were free. You must date the first
letter from Stoneborough.'

The thought had brought a bitter pang. 'One half year sooner--' and he
leant back in his seat, with fingers tightly pressed together, and
trembling with emotion.

'Nay, Leonard; may not the dear child be the first to rejoice in the
fulfilment of her own sweet note of comfort? They could not harm the
innocent.'

'Not innocent,' he said, 'not innocent of causing all the discord that
has ended in their exile, and the dear child's death.'

'Then this is what has preyed on you, and changed you so much more of
late,' said Dr. May.

'When I knew that I was indeed guilty of _her_ death,' said Leonard, in
a calm full conviction of too long standing to be accompanied with
agitation, though permanently bowing him down.

'And you never spoke of this: not to the chaplain?'

'I never could. It would have implied all the rest that he could not
believe. And it would not have changed the fact.'

'The aspect of it may change, Leonard. You know yourself how many
immediate causes combined, of which you cannot accuse yourself--your
brother's wrongheadedness, and all the rest. And,' added the Doctor,
recovering himself, 'you do see it in other aspects, I