reproach
himself?'

'I cannot tell,' said Guy; 'there was a reality in his manner of
speaking that refuses to let me disbelieve him. Surely it cannot be one
of the horrors of death that we should be left to reproach ourselves
with the fancied sins we have been prone to, as well as with our real
ones. Then'--and he rose, and walked about the room--'if so, more than
ever, in the hour of death, good Lord, deliver us!'

Amabel was silent, and presently he sat down, saying,--'Well, time will
show!'

'I cannot think it' said Amy. 'Laura! How could she help telling mamma!'
And as Guy smiled at the recollection of their own simultaneous coming
to mamma, she added,--'Not only because it was right, but for the
comfort of it.'

'But, Amy, do you remember what I told you of poor Laura's fears, and
what she said to me, on our wedding-day?'

'Poor Laura!' said Amy. 'Yet--' She paused, and Guy presently said,--

'Well, I won't believe it, if I can possibly help it. I can't afford to
lose my faith in my sister's perfection, or Philip's, especially now.
But I must go; I have loitered too long, and Arnaud ought to go to his
breakfast.'

Amabel sat long over the remains of her breakfast. She did not puzzle
herself over Philip's confession, for she would not admit it without
confirmation; and she could not think of his misdoings, even those
of which she was certain, on the day when his life was hanging in the
balance. All she could bear to recollect was his excellence; nay, in the
tenderness of her heart, she nearly made out that she had always been
very fond of him, overlooking that even before Guy came to Hollywell,
she had always regarded him with more awe than liking, been disinclined
to his good advice, shrunk from his condescension, and regularly enjoyed
Charles's quizzing of him. All this, and all the subsequent injuries
were forgotten, and she believed, as sincerely as her husband, that
Philip had been free from any unkind intention. But she chiefly dwelt on
her own Guy, especially that last speech, so unlike some of whom she had
heard, who were rather glad to find a flaw in a faultless model, if only
to obtain a fellow-feeling for it.

'Yes,' thought she, 'he might look far without finding anything better
than himself, though he won't believe it. If ever he could make me
angry, it will be by treating me as if I was better than he. Such
nonsense! But I suppose his goodness would not be such if he was
conscious of it, so