Fleming, and if his coming
had been delayed much longer, her courage might have failed her
altogether.

He came at last. He had been expecting her, he said, which surprised
her, for Mr Hume had said nothing of Dr Fleming's letter to him. He
had, however, sent a note by her to the doctor.

"Well?" said she, when he had read it. "Does he tell you what I am to
do? I must have come to you even if he had not sent me. I must tell
you--only you may not have time. But if you understood all, I think you
would wish to help me,--and--my courage is like to fail."

"Mistress Allison, you need tell me nothing that it will trouble you to
tell. I ken enough of your story to make me wish to help you to do what
you believe to be right. And what I can do, I will do with all my
heart."

Allison's answer was a sudden burst of weeping such as no one had ever
seen from her before. While it lasted, the doctor turned away and
occupied himself at his desk.

"I hope you will excuse me, sir," said Allison in a little; "I am tired,
for one thing, and--you are so kind. And I am not sure--though I
thought I was sure--that I am doing right in coming here--"

"I think I know what you would say. And--I think you are right in what
you desire to do. Mistress Allison, it is a blessed thing to be able to
forgive. And the greater the sin against us, the greater the
blessedness. And to attain to this, our sacrifice must be entire.
Nothing can be kept back."

"But I cannot but keep something back. I dare not look beyond--I think
I desire to do God's will, but--"

"Ah! do not say `but.' Be patient, if you cannot be joyful. You will
be brought through. And then--you may help to save a sinful soul. Can
you seek to look beyond that?"

Allison shook her head.

"If I were wise and good. But it is only a little since--since I came
to trust Him, and whiles I doubt whether I do trust Him right, so
fearful and fainthearted am I. I have ay been willing to forgive if I
could be kept safe from him. Oh! yes. It was my fault too. I should
have trusted God and stood firm," said Allison, as she had said so many
times before. "And besides, it was his own life he ruined, as well as
mine. Nay, he did not ruin mine. I have had much to make me content
with my life since then. If there had only been the child Marjorie, who
loves me dearly, and whom I love. And my brother is doing well. Oh!
no, my life has not been spoiled. And the best of