ay and watch by night, give up the
joys of life, the hopes of youth; cease to banish the
remembrance of the past, but in quiet penitence, in humbled
contemplation bear it ever in mind, and carry about with me,
through a long life perhaps, the dagger in the wound, till at
last the day might come when my own heart would absolve me,
and Edward Middleton would pity me.

After the service the clergyman announced his intention of
administering the holy sacrament on the following Sunday, to
all such as should be religiously and devoutly disposed. For
the last year I had always listened to this address either
with a feeling of dogged indifference, or, if my heart was
less hardened than usual, with a pang of shame and grief; but
always with a determination to remain banished from the altar,
ex-communicated by my own conscience. Now for the first time,
I listened with a somewhat different feeling; I longed to
kneel there, and as I looked at the clergyman while he
preached, and marked his white hair, his venerable
countenance, and the benevolence of his manner, a sudden
resolution occurred to me; I would open my heart to him; I
would tell him all; I would, for once, pour out the secret
anguish of my soul to one who neither loved nor hated me; to
one who would tell me what my guilt had been,--who would
promise me its pardon, and point out the path of duty to my
blinded sight. I felt feverishly impatient to accomplish this
determination; and when we came out of church, and Mrs. Brandon
asked me if I would walk or drive home, I said I would drive,
so as to make the walkers set out without me; and then I drew
Mrs. Brandon aside, and told her, that as I had heard that the
afternoon service was at half-past two o'clock, I should wait
for it, and in the mean time walk about the churchyard and the
village. She made some objections to my remaining alone, which
was inevitable if I stayed, as all the men had walked on, and
the women would none of them be inclined to miss their
luncheon; but at last yielding to my earnest wish, she said
she would herself come to afternoon church, in order to fetch
me back.

I saw them all drive off, and the village people slowly leave
the churchyard in different directions, and sat myself down on
the same tombstone as in the morning to watch for Mr. Leslie.
It was some time before he came out of church, and when he did
he remained for several minutes in conversation with the clerk
at the door of the po