Wits, authors, poets, artists, statesmen, whose
words could change the fate of Europe, were proud to call the marquise
friend. I am an old man now, and you must forgive an old man's
prosiness; but a little sadness comes into my thoughts when I muse on
the past. How many of those illustrious souls, then so full of life
and power, remain? And I, long exiled from all I cherished, how have I
progressed? No, no, Eugene; not even to you would I complain. What has
a faithful follower of the Cross to do with the vanities of this
world?

"It is one of my temptations, still, to think on what might have been
had I not chosen the hard road, had I not renounced the gay world and
its fascinations, for it had, and _has_ fascinations yet for me.
Eugene, my reward will be hereafter; but, as an old man, and one who
has endeavored to do his duty for many years, I often wonder whether I
mistook my vocation. But away with such doubts, they are a snare of
the arch-enemy himself, a subtle snare.

"My dear pupil, hard as it was to let you go, I am glad you left me. I
knew those years of labor _must_ tell in the end. I knew so much zeal
could not be thrown away.

"Of Marie Gourdon, all you tell me is most satisfactory. When first I
sent her to fight her way in the world, I had fears. In her profession
there are so many evil influences to contend with that, in spite of
her undoubted talent, I hesitated before letting her go. But I need
not have feared. Marie Gourdon has one of those pure white souls----"

"Perhaps I had better not go on?" said Eugene, smiling.

Marie nodded and murmured half to herself--"Dear M. Bois-le-Duc, I am
glad to hear he thinks so well of me. Please continue."

"--one of those pure white souls that can pass through the fire of any
temptation and come out purer, stronger, holier. She has doubly repaid
me for any pains I took with her education. Long ago she insisted on
returning the money spent on her training, and every year regularly,
she sends me two hundred dollars to be spent on the poor suffering
pilgrims, who come to the church at Father Point. Yes, I am justly
proud of two of my pupils; the disappointment I suffer because of the
conduct of the third only serves to heighten the contrast. I beg of
you never to mention his name again to me. Never allude to Noel
McAllister in your letters in the slightest way. The mann