"It was wrong. I should have told you. He spoke often about you. In
his delirium he believed himself with you. He called your name three
times just before he died; it was only a whisper then, he was so
weak."

Elizabeth wept bitterly, and Denasia, moved by many memories, could
not watch her unmoved. After a wretched pause she said:

"Good-bye! You are Roland's sister and he loved you. So then I cannot
really hate you. I forgive you all."

But Elizabeth did not answer. The loss of her brother, the loss of her
money--she was feeling that this woman had been the cause of all her
sorrows. Grief and anger swelled within her heart; she felt it to be
an intolerable wrong to be forgiven. She was silent until Denasia was
closing the door, then she rose hastily and followed her.

"Go!" she cried, "and never cross my path again. You have brought me
nothing but misery."

"It is quite just that I should bring you misery. Remember, now, that
if you do a wrong you will have to pay the price of it."

Trembling with anger and emotion, she clasped her purse tightly and
called a cab to take her to her lodging. The money was money, at any
rate. A poor exchange for love, certainly, but still Roland's last
gift to her. It proved that in his dying hours he loved her best of
all. He had put his family pride beneath her feet. He had put his
sister's interest second to her interest. She felt that every pound
represented to her so much of Roland's consideration and affection. It
was, too, a large sum of money. It made her in her own station a very
rich woman. If she put it in the St. Penfer bank it would insure her a
great deal of respect. That was one side of the question. The other
was less satisfactory. People would speculate as to how she had
become possessed of such a sum. Many would not scruple to say, "It was
sinful money, won in the devil's service." All who wished to be unkind
to her could find in it an occasion for hard sayings. In small
communities everything but prosperity is forgiven; that is never
really forgiven to anyone; and though Denasia did not find words for
this feeling, she was aware of it, because she was desirous to avoid
unnecessary ill-will.

She sat with the cheque in her hand a long time, considering what to do
with it. Her natural vanity and pride, her sense of superior
intelligence, education, travel, and experience urged her to take
whatever good it might bring her. And she went to sleep resolving to do
so