fer;
give me, then, strength to suffer."

The door opened gently; the beautiful supplicant pretended not to hear
the noise, and in a voice broken by tears, she continued:

"God of vengeance! God of goodness! wilt thou allow the frightful
projects of this man to be accomplished?"

Then only she pretended to hear the sound of Felton's steps, and rising
quick as thought, she blushed, as if ashamed of being surprised on her
knees.

"I do not like to disturb those who pray, madame," said Felton,
seriously; "do not disturb yourself on my account, I beseech you."

"How do you know I was praying, sir?" said Milady, in a voice broken by
sobs. "You were deceived, sir; I was not praying."

"Do you think, then, madame," replied Felton, in the same serious voice,
but with a milder tone, "do you think I assume the right of preventing
a creature from prostrating herself before her Creator? God forbid!
Besides, repentance becomes the guilty; whatever crimes they may have
committed, for me the guilty are sacred at the feet of God!"

"Guilty? I?" said Milady, with a smile which might have disarmed the
angel of the last judgment. "Guilty? Oh, my God, thou knowest whether
I am guilty! Say I am condemned, sir, if you please; but you know that
God, who loves martyrs, sometimes permits the innocent to be condemned."

"Were you condemned, were you innocent, were you a martyr," replied
Felton, "the greater would be the necessity for prayer; and I myself
would aid you with my prayers."

"Oh, you are a just man!" cried Milady, throwing herself at his feet. "I
can hold out no longer, for I fear I shall be wanting in strength at the
moment when I shall be forced to undergo the struggle, and confess my
faith. Listen, then, to the supplication of a despairing woman. You are
abused, sir; but that is not the question. I only ask you one favor; and
if you grant it me, I will bless you in this world and in the next."

"Speak to the master, madame," said Felton; "happily I am neither
charged with the power of pardoning nor punishing. It is upon one higher
placed than I am that God has laid this responsibility."

"To you--no, to you alone! Listen to me, rather than add to my
destruction, rather than add to my ignominy!"

"If you have merited this shame, madame, if you have incurred this
ignominy, you must submit to it as an offering to God."

"What do you say? Oh, you do not understand me! When I speak of
ignominy, you think I speak of some