ear now; all will be well with him. It is a great honor to you that
your life was spared in order that your father's soul might be saved.
The bishop knows of this, and is greatly pleased. Already many of the
parish priests have been told of your miraculous recovery, and have
repeated it to those whose faith was weak, and they have been
blessed. You have been honored above most women. In time, I believe
you will rise to be the superioress of a convent."

As he turned from her, Adele rose and left the room. As the door was
closing behind her she turned and looked back. Before the crucifix, on
their knees, were her aged father and mother, while towering above
them, with hands outstretched toward the cross, was the white-haired
priest, invoking blessings on those bowed at his feet. She knew it was
her duty to be by their side. Stifling the choking tears, she was
about to re-enter the room, when the haunting refrain of a song that
she had heard Doctor Chalmers sing, rang in her ears:

"To prevail in the cause that is dearer than life,
Or be crushed in its ruins to die."

The words seemed sacrilegious to her, when compared with the
supplicating tone of the priest's voice. With all her might she strove
to banish them. Twice she stretched out her hand to turn the handle of
the door, but the sound of the voice that had sung the words seemed to
grow more distinct instead of vanishing, and her hand fell to her
side. At last, with a stifled cry of despair, she fled from the house
into the little garden, shocked at the wickedness of her heart.

For a long time she sat with closed eyes, her little ivory
prayer-beads in her hands. She pleaded for pardon for not being able
to fix her attention on holy things, and asked grace to cease
thinking of him who had taken from her the love for the life of
seclusion to which she had been taught to look forward.

At last she heard the clang of the garden gate, and knew the priest
had gone. She did not return to the house, but continued battling with
her sins. Suddenly her supplications ceased; she sprang to her feet
and looked along the road. She had not been mistaken; away in the
distance was a light buggy, rapidly approaching. Doctor Chalmers had
said he might be down that day! Her heart seemed to stop beating; she
would have run into the house had not her strength failed. Had the
evil one been approaching, she could not have begun to pray more
earnestly for aid.

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