ence of Miserrimus Dexter bare to
my view! not until I had once again renewed the struggle, and brought
the truth that vindicated the husband and the father to the light of
day!

I went back to the house, with my new courage to sustain me. I opened my
heart to my friend and mother, and told her frankly of the change that
had come over me since we had last spoken of Eustace.

She was more than disappointed--she was almost offended with me. The one
thing needful had happened, she said. The happiness that might soon
come to us would form a new tie between my husband and me. Every other
consideration but this she treated as purely fanciful. If I left Eustace
now, I did a heartless thing and a foolish thing. I should regret, to
the end of my days, having thrown away the one golden opportunity of my
married life.

It cost me a hard struggle, it oppressed me with many a painful doubt;
but I held firm this time. The honor of the father, the inheritance of
the child--I kept these thoughts as constant ly as possible before my
mind. Sometimes they failed me, and left me nothing better than a poor
fool who had some fitful bursts of crying, and was always ashamed of
herself afterward. But my native obstinacy (as Mrs. Macallan said)
carried me through. Now and then I had a peep at Eustace, while he was
asleep; and that helped me too. Though they made my heart ache and shook
me sadly at the times those furtive visits to my husband fortified
me afterward. I cannot explain how this happened (it seems so
contradictory); I can only repeat it as one of my experiences at that
troubled time.

I made one concession to Mrs. Macallan--I consented to wait for two days
before I took any steps for returning to England, on the chance that my
mind might change in the interval.

It was well for me that I yielded so far. On the second day the director
of the field-hospital sent to the post-office at our nearest town for
letters addressed to him or to his care. The messenger brought back a
letter for me. I thought I recognized the handwriting, and I was right.
Mr. Playmore's answer had reached me at last!

If I had been in any danger of changing my mind, the good lawyer would
have saved me in the nick of time. The extract that follows contains the
pith of his letter; and shows how he encouraged me when I stood in sore
need of a few cheering and friendly words.

"Let me now tell you," he wrote, "what I have done toward verifying the
conclusion