seen nothing
real in you at which to be offended; it is an imaginary something that
has blinded her mind."

"In that case, Mrs. Appleton, I must say, as I said at first--Let her
pout it out. I have no patience with any one who acts so foolishly."

"You must pardon my importunity, Louisa," her persevering friend
replied. "I am conscious that the position you have taken is a wrong
one, and I cannot but hope that I shall be able to make you see it."

"I don't know, Mrs. Appleton; none are so blind, it is said, as they
who will not see," Louisa replied, with a meaning smile.

"So you are conscious of an unwillingness to see the truth if opposed
to your present feelings," said Mrs. Appleton, smiling in return; "I
have some hope of you now."

"You think so?"

"Oh, yes; the better principles of your mind are becoming more active,
and I now feel certain that you will think of Maria as unhappy from
some erroneous idea which it is in your power to remove."

"But her unkind and ungenerous conduct towards me"--

"Don't think of that, Louisa; think only if it be not in your power
again to restore peace to her mind; again to cause her eyes to brighten
and her lips to smile when you meet her. It is in your power--I know
that it is. Do not, then, let me beg of you, abuse that power, and
suffer one heart to be oppressed when a word from you can remove the
burden that weighs it down."

To this appeal Laura remained silent for a few moments, and then
looking up, said, "What would you have me do, Mrs. Appleton?"

"Nothing but what you see to be clearly right. Do not act simply from
my persuasion. I urge you as I do, that you may perceive it to be a
duty to go to Maria and try to disabuse her of an error that is
producing unhappiness."

"Then how do you think I ought to act?"

"It seems to me that you should go to Maria, and ask her, with that
sincerity and frankness that she could not mistake, the cause of her
changed manner; and that you should, at the same time, say that you
were altogether unconscious of having said or done any thing to wound
or offend her."

"I will do it, Mrs. Appleton," said Louisa, after musing for a few
moments.

"But does it seem to you right that you should do so?"

"It does when I lose sight of myself, and think of Maria as standing to
another in the same light that she really stands to me."

"I am glad that you have thus separated your own feelings from the
matter; that is the true way to