CHAPTER XIV.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IV, Issue 178, 25 August 1876, Page 6

CHAPTER XIV.

CONVALESCENCE. I " All that is nob for human power alone, dear," she replied, " but I will do all I can for you. Dear daughter," she added, laying her hand on Laura's head, '" begin at the beginning. You will never have peace while you carry this secret about with you. Colonel Hartland and Captain Marten at least have a right to know your position, and fiey can make it public if they choose. Lieutenant Hartland's honor demands that you make a fair statement of everything to him. I cannot counsel you further now," she added. " But you will not loo,ve me alone," cried Laura, seizing both her hands convulsively, and rising only to sink back exhausted ; " all alone !" she continued, covering her face with her hands, " uobody cares for any thing but the disgrace." "Be quiet, my dear," replied the sister, " dont excite yourself; wait till you are a little stronger. I will not forget you, and may be your father will let you come to me for a little while when you are able, and I will do all I can for you. The dear Lord help you," she added, stooping over her and kissing her brow. Laura meditated on the counsel she had received ; it returned to her day by day as she grew stronger ; but with her slowly recovered strength came added reluctance to follow Sister Agnes' advice. There ■was but one thought living in her soul, one feeling that overcame and trampled out every other emotion — how she should take the next step The lonely houis brought her no peace, and her aunt's conversation became odious to her. At length, with a desperate struggle, she took the first ptep in the right direction ; she wrote a long letter to Lieutenant Hartland, confessing every thing but the last interview with Le Compte, and the loss of the betrothal ring. With all her struggles Bhe could not bring herself to tell of this, it was such a mortifying incident. She was sincere and truthful as far as she went, but Bhe kept back that which was doomed to biing her severest punishment, and which, truly confessed, would have been forgiven with the rest. The effort she made, although it was not a thorough one, benefited her mentally and physically ; hut a dreadful fear of Le Compte, ■which had come upon her so forcibly in her illness, continued in all its force. His presence seemed to haunt her, and not without reason, ior she had learnt d from months of almost daily intercourse, that he did not readily give up the pursuit of any object.