able, knowing that if I lost everything, I could hardly
be poorer than I was before. But I should have a better hope than the
gambler is justified in having. That, however, is not my difficulty.
And when I think of him I can see a prospect for success for the
gambler. I think so well of myself that, loving him, as I do;--yes,
mamma, do not be uneasy;--loving him as I do, I believe I could be a
comfort to him. I think that he might be better with me than without
me. That is, he would be so, if he could teach himself to look back
upon the past as I can do, and to judge of me as I can judge of him."

"He has nothing, at least, for which to condemn you."

"But he would have, were I to marry him now. He would condemn me
because I had forgiven him. He would condemn me because I had borne
what he had done to me, and had still loved him,--loved him through
it all. He would feel and know the weakness;--and there is weakness.
I have been weak in not being able to rid myself of him altogether.
He would recognise this after awhile, and would despise me for it.
But he would not see what there is of devotion to him in my being
able to bear the taunts of the world in going back to him, and your
taunts, and my own taunts. I should have to bear his also,--not
spoken aloud, but to be seen in his face and heard in his voice,--and
that I could not endure. If he despised me, and he would, that would
make us both unhappy. Therefore, mamma, tell him not to come; tell
him that he can never come; but, if it be possible, tell him this
tenderly." Then she got up and walked away, as though she were going
out of the room; but her mother had caught her before the door was
opened.

"Lily," she said, "if you think you can be happy with him, he shall
come."

"No, mamma, no. I have been looking for the light ever since I read
his letter, and I think I see it. And now, mamma, I will make a clean
breast of it. From the moment in which I heard that that that poor
woman was dead, I have been in a state of flutter. It has been weak
of me, and silly, and contemptible. But I could not help it. I kept
on asking myself whether he would ever think of me now. Well; he has
answered the question; and has so done it that he has forced upon me
the necessity of a resolution. I have resolved, and I believe that I
shall be the better for it."

The letter which Mrs. Dale wrote to Mr. Crosbie was as follows:--

"Mrs. Dale presents her compliments to Mr. Crosbie, and