ling tale of repentance which may fall with cheerful
rays of encouragement on the soul engaged in the fierce combat with
self?

To us the simple, touching story of Alvira has brought a charm and a
balm. Seeking to impart to others its interest, its amusement, and
its moral, we cast it afloat on the sea of literature, to meet,
probably, a premature grave in this age of irreligion and presumptuous
denial of the necessities of penance.

Contents

Chapter I. Page
Paris One Hundred and Fifty Years Ago . . . . . . 5

Chapter II.
The Usurer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Chapter III.
A Mixed Marriage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Chapter IV.
A Youth Trained in the Way he should Walk . . . . 18

Chapter V.
Our Heroines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Chapter VI.
A Secret Revealed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Chapter VII.
Tears on Earth, Joy in Heaven . . . . . . . . . . 42

Chapter VIII.
Madeleine's Happy Death . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Chapter IX.
One Abyss Invokes Another . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Chapter X.
On the Trail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Chapter XI.
The Flight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Chapter XII.
Geneva . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Chapter XIII.
The Secret Societies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Chapter XIV.
The Freemason's Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Chapter XV.
Tragedy in the Mountains . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Chapter XVI.
A Funeral in the Snow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Chapter XVII.
An Unwritten Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Chapter XVIII.
In Uniform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

Chapter XIX.
Remorse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

Chapter XX.
Naples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

Chapter XXI.
Engagement with Brigands . . . . . . . . . . . . 147

Chapter XXII.
The Morning After the Battle . . . . . . . . . . 156

Chapter XXIII.
Return--A Triumph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

Chapter XXIV.
Alvira's Confession . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165

Chapter XXV.
Honor Saved . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183

Chapter XXVI.
Repentance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190

Chapter XXVII.
The Privileges of Holy Souls . . . . . . . . . . 199

Chapter XXVIII.
A Vision of Purgatory--A De