home.

Violet would fain have hid her face in her good friend's bosom, and
poured out her griefs, but she could only feel that she was forfeiting
for ever the esteem of one she loved so much. She held out, however.
Not till the door had closed did she relax her restraint on herself,
and give way to the overwhelming tears. Helpless, frightened, perplexed,
forced into doing what might be fatal to her! and every one, even
Arthur, likely to blame her! The burst of weeping was as terrified, as
violent, as despairing as those of last year.

But she was not, as then, inconsolable; and as the first agitation
spent itself she resumed her self-command, checked her sobs by broken
sentences of prayer, growing fuller and clearer, then again soft and
misty, till she fairly cried herself to sleep.

She slept only for a short interval, but it had brought back her
composure, and she was able to frame a prayer to be directed to do right
and be guarded from harm; and then to turn her mind steadily to the
decision. It was her duty, as long as it was in her power, to be
with her husband's sister, and guard her from lowering herself by her
associates. She was bound by her promise to Percy, and she could only
trust that no harm would ensue.

'If it should,' thought poor Violet, 'I may honestly hope it is in the
way of what I believe my duty; so it would be a cross, and I should be
helped under it. And if the Brandons blame me--that is a cross again.
Suppose I was to be as ill again as I was before--suppose I should not
get through it--Oh! then I could not bear to have wilfully neglected a
duty! And the next party? Oh! no need for thinking of that! I must only
take thought for the day.'

And soon again she slept.

Theodora had gone out so entirely convinced that Violet would relinquish
her intention, that, meeting Mrs. Finch, she arranged to be taken up at
eleven o'clock.

On returning home she heard that Mrs. Martindale was asleep; and, as
they had dined early, she drank coffee in her own room, and read with
the Brogden girl, as part of her system of compensation, intending
to spare further discussion by seeing Violet no more that night. She
proceeded to dress her hair--not as helplessly as at first, for the
lessons had not been without fruit; but to-night nothing had a good
effect. Not being positively handsome, her good looks depended on
colour, dress, and light; and the dislike to failure, and the desire to
command attention, made