onceal strong feelings, and as Cynthia read the letter over she
felt that every line betrayed her, and knew that she could compose no
lines which would not.

She said nothing of the summons which she had received that morning,
or of her answer; and her account of the matter of the dismissal and
reinstatement was brief and dignified, and contained no mention of Mr.
Worthington's name or agency. It was her duty, too, to rebuke Bob for
the quarrel with his father, to point out the folly of it, and the
wrong, and to urge him as strongly as she could to retract, though she
felt that all this was useless. And then--then came the betrayal of
hope. She could not ask him never to see her again, but she did beseech
him for her sake, and for the sake of that love which he had declared,
not to attempt to see her: not for a year, she wrote, though the word
looked to her like eternity. Her reasons, aside from her own scruples,
were so obvious, while she taught in Brampton, that she felt that he
would consent to banishment--until the summer holidays in July, at
least: and then she would be in Coniston,--and would have had time to
decide upon future steps. A reprieve was all she craved,--a reprieve
in which to reflect, for she was in no condition to reflect now. Of one
thing she was sure, that it would not be right at this time to encourage
him although she had a guilty feeling that the letter had given him
encouragement in spite of all the prohibitions it contained. "If, in the
future years," thought Cynthia, as she sealed the envelope, "he persists
in his determination, what then?" You, Miss Lucretia, of all people in
the world, have planted the seeds with your talk about Genesis!

The letter was signed "One who will always remain your friend, Cynthia
Wetherell." And she posted it herself.

When Ephraim came home to supper that evening, he brought the Brampton
Clarion, just out, and in it was an account of Miss Lucretia Penniman's
speech at the mass meeting, and of her visit, and of her career. It was
written in Mr. Page's best vein, and so laudatory was it that we shall
have to spare Miss Lucretia in not repeating it here: yes, and omit
the encomiums, too, on the teacher of the Brampton lower school. Mr.
Worthington was not mentioned, and for this, at least, Cynthia drew
along breath of relief, though Ephraim was of the opinion that the
first citizen should have been scored as he deserved, and held up to the
contempt of his fellow