--"

"You thought so, darling; you were wrong. Even when I went to
Queensland I was far from that. I could not bid you good-by before I
went, because of the sin which I was about to commit. I committed the
sin, I dropped away from honor, I let goodness go. I did that which
could never, never, under any circumstances, be worth doing, for there
is nothing worth evil, there is nothing worth sin, I see it now."

"Then you are sorry?"

"I have repented," he cried; "my God, I have repented," and he fell on
his knees and covered his face. For the child's sake he kept back the
sobs which rose to his throat.

Sibyl looked at the bent head, at the dark hair already sprinkled with
gray. She lay quite still, there was not the slightest doubt that the
shock was great. Ogilvie waited, longing, wondering if the little
hand would touch his head, if the child would forgive him.

"She is so holy, so heavenly herself," he murmured; "is it possible
that she can forgive? It must be a cruel shock to her."

The little, white hand did not touch him. There was complete stillness
in the room. At last he raised his eyes and looked at her. She looked
steadily back at him.

"And so you was never perfect?" she said.

"Never."

"And was mother never perfect?"

"Not as you think of perfection, Sibyl, but we need not talk of her
now. I have sinned far more deeply than your poor mother has ever
done."

The puzzled expression grew deeper on Sibyl's face. An old memory of
her mother returned to her. She saw again the scene, and recalled her
mother's words, the words she had overheard, and which the mother had
denied. She was quite still for a full moment, the little clock on the
mantelpiece ticked loudly, then she said slowly:

"And Lord Jesus, isn't He perfect?"

Ogilvie started when he heard her words.

"Aye, He is perfect," he answered, "you are safe in trusting to Him.
He is all that your dreams and all that your longings desire."

She smiled very faintly.

"Why did He come into the world?" was her next question.

"Don't you know that old story? Has no one told you?"

"Won't you tell me now, father?"

"The old story was that Christ Jesus came into the world to save
sinners."

"Sinners," repeated Sibyl, "'cos He loved 'em?"

"Would He have done that for anything else, do you think?"

"I 'spect not," she replied, and again the faint smile filled her
eyes.

"Then He loves _you_," she said, after a moment. "He came from heav