ed to the appealing face of her
kneeling child, and something there broke up the frozen deeps of her
heart.

"Are you sure? Is there no hope?"

"No hope; except to meet him in heaven."

Throwing her hands above her head, the wretched woman wrung them
despairingly, and the pain of all the bitter past wailed in her
passionate cry:

"Lost for ever! And I would not forgive him! My husband! My own
husband! When he begged for pardon I spurned, and derided, and
taunted him! Oh! I meant sometime to forgive him; after I had
accomplished all I planned. After he was beggared, and humiliated in
the eyes of the world, and that woman occupied the position where
they all sought to keep me, a mother and yet no lawful wife, after I
had enjoyed my triumph a little while, I fully intended to listen to
my heart long enough to tell him that I forgave him because he was
your father! And now, where is my revenge? Where is my triumph? God
has turned His back upon me; has struck from my hands all that I have
toiled for fifteen years to accomplish. They all triumph over me now,
in their quiet graves, resting in peace; and I live, only to regret!
To regret!"

Her eyes were dry, and shone like jewels, and when her arms fell, her
clenched hands rested unintentionally on her daughter's head.

"Mother, he knows now that you forgive him. Remember that for him all
grief is ended; and try to be comforted."

"And for me? What remains for me?"

Her voice was so deep, so sepulchral, so despairing, that Regina
clung closer to her.

"Your child, who loves you so devotedly; and the hope of that blessed
rest in heaven, where marriages are unknown, where at last we shall
all dwell together in peace."

For some time Mrs. Laurance remained motionless; then her lips moved
inaudibly. At length she said:

"Yes, my child, our child is all that is left. When he asked to kiss
me once more, I denied him so harshly, so bitterly! When he tried to
draw me for the last time to his bosom, I hurled away his arms, would
not let him touch me. Now I shall never see him again. My husband!
The one only love of my miserable and accursed life! Oh, my beloved!
do you know at last, that the Minnie of your youth, the bride of your
boyhood has never, never ceased to love her faithless, erring
husband?"

Her voice grew tremulous, husky, and suddenly bending back her
daughter's head, she looked long at the grieved countenance.

"His last words were: 'Minnie love, let ou