point of view.

Clearly it _was_ no business of mine; but Mrs Levret was so much in
earnest, and had impressed me so strongly with what "_had been given to
her_," that I felt I must persevere, in the young fellow's own
interests.

So I explained that I had no wish to pry into his private affairs from
any mere unworthy curiosity, but that having myself felt the malignant
presence that was said to be haunting him, and being told that only
confession would remove it, I hoped he would consider the matter
seriously before obstinately closing the door of opportunity now open to
him. "Who could foretell when he might have another chance?"

A long pause succeeded these words. I felt that the angry, irritable
mood was passing over, and when my hand was next influenced to write,
the words that came were not the usual curt "_None of your business_,"
but an apology for his rude reception of my efforts to help him, and a
full confession, which entirely bore out Mrs Levret's impressions.

He told me that it was only too true that he had betrayed a young woman
in a different rank of life from his own. She had died in child-birth
_the preceding midsummer_, and had died cursing him for his perfidy.
Ever since (it was now late in June) he had been haunted by her
presence, seeing nothing, but always conscious of a malignant spirit
tempting him to his own destruction. The mental agony was so great that
he told me he did not think he could endure it much longer, and had
almost decided to put an end to his life (little realising, poor fellow,
that bad as this life might be, the next phase would be far worse for
him).

After trying to soothe and comfort him, without in any way minimising
the weight of his sin or attempting to lessen his remorse for it, it
struck me that it would be well to try and have a little talk with his
poor young victim. So saying good-bye, and promising to remember him in
future, I asked mentally for _her_ spirit to come, and then tried to
influence her in the direction of forgiveness. It was a hard struggle,
and no wonder.

The poor young woman had trusted him, had been deceived, and finally
launched into another sphere without any preparation for it. What wonder
that she haunted the man who had wronged her so terribly, through pure
selfishness, and that any love she had ever borne him had long since
turned to deadly hate!

It needed both time and patience to rouse even mere passive feelings
towards him. I s