rch. At last he dismissed him, and walked
my way; he seemed doubtful whether he should stop or not, as
he passed me, but I got up, and this decided him.

He smiled, and asked me if I had been forgotten and left
behind?

"No," I said, "I am only waiting here, as there is hardly time
to go to the house and come back before afternoon church; and
this is a pleasant place to spend an hour in."

"I am glad you like our old churchyard," said Mr. Leslie; and
then he began talking of the views, of the neighbouring
scenery, of the ruined palace now transformed into a farm, of
all the subjects he thought would interest me, little thinking
that at that moment the secret of a life of anguish, the
confession of an over-burthened conscience, was trembling on
my lips. The more he talked, too (although there was nothing
unsuitable to his sacred office in anything he said), the
morel felt to lose sight of the priest of God--of the
messenger of Heaven, in the amiable, conversible,
gentlemanlike man before me; however, when he pulled out his
watch, and apologised for leaving me, pleading a promise he
had made to visit a sick parishioner, I made a desperate
effort, and said: "May I ask you, Mr. Leslie, to allow me a
few moments of conversation with you before the hour of
afternoon service, if you can spare time?"

He looked surprised, but bowed assent, and said he would
return in half an hour. During that half hour I sat with my
face buried in my hands, feeling as if able to count every
pulsation of my heart. The excitement under which I had acted
was past; I trembled at the idea of what my lips were going to
utter; I felt as if I had escaped a great danger; I was
astonished at myself for ever having formed such a resolution;
and when Mr. Leslie stood before me again, and asked me, with
a smile, what my business with him was, I could as soon have
destroyed myself in his presence, as have pronounced the words
of self-accusation, which had appeared to me so natural and so
easy when he was in the pulpit and I on my knees in church.
But he was there, and he was waiting for my answer, and my
cheeks were flushing, and I knew that the next moment I should
burst into tears. With a desperate confusion I drew my purse,
which contained several sovereigns, from my pocket, and asked
him to distribute it among the poor of the village. He seemed
puzzled, but thanked me, and said he should be happy to be the
dispenser of such a liberal donation: a