ell the girls," she said, "that I want to write home; for I shall do
it presently, when I feel a little calmer."

Something struck me as I was turning away. "Flora," I said, "why do you
not tell my Aunt Kezia all about it? I am sure she would help you, if
any one could."

"Yes, dear, I think she would," said Flora, gently; "but you see no one
could. And remember, Cary!" she called me back as I was leaving the
chamber, and came to me, and took both my hands; and her great sorrowful
eyes, which looked just like brown velvet, gazed into mine like the eyes
of a dog which is afraid of a scolding: "remember, Cary, that Angus is
not wicked. He is only weak. But how weak he is!"

She broke down with another sob.

"But men should be stronger than women," said I, "not weaker."

"They are, in body and mind," replied Flora: "but sex, I suppose, does
not extend to soul. There, some men are far weaker than some women.
Look at Peter. I dare say the maid who kept the door would have been
less frightened of the two, if he had taunted her with being one of
`this man's disciples.'"

"Well, I should feel ashamed!" I said.

"I am not sure if women do not feel moral weakness a greater shame than
men do," replied Flora. "Men seem to think so much more of want of
physical bravery. Many a soldier will not stand an ill-natured laugh,
who would want to fight you in a minute if you hinted that he was afraid
of being hurt. Things seem to look so different to men from what they
do to women; and, I think, to the angels, and to God."

I did not like to leave her alone in her trouble: but she said she
wanted nothing, and was going to write to her father; so I went back to
Sophy's room, and gave Flora's message to the girls.

"Dear! I am sure we don't want her," said Hatty: and Charlotte added,
"She is more of a spoil-sport than anything else."

So we played at "Hunt the slipper," and "Questions and commands," and
"The parson has lost his cloak," and "Blind man's buff": and then when
we got tired we sat down--on the beds or anywhere--Hatty took off the
mirror and perched herself on the dressing-table, and Charlotte wanted
to climb up and sit on the mantel-shelf, but Sophy would not let her--
and then we had a round of "How do you like it?" and then we went to
bed.

In the middle of the night I awoke with a start, and heard a great
noise, and Sam's voice, and old Will's, and a lot of queer talking, as
if something were being carr