sed."

How beautiful, great, and pure goodness is! It paints heaven on the face
that has it; it wakens the sleeping souls that meet it.

At the bottom of Margaret Woffington's heart lay a soul, unknown to the
world, scarce known to herself--a heavenly harp, on which ill airs of
passion had been played--but still it was there, in tune with all that
is true, pure, really great and good. And now the flush that a great
heart sends to the brow, to herald great actions, came to her cheek and
brow.

"Humble!" she cried. "Such as you are the diamonds of our race. You
angel of truth and goodness, you have conquered!"

"Oh, yes! yes! Thank God, yes!"

"What a fiend I must be could I injure you! The poor heart we have both
overrated shall be yours again, and yours for ever. In my hands it
is painted glass; in the luster of a love like yours it may become a
priceless jewel." She turned her head away and pondered a moment, then
suddenly offered to Mrs. Vane her hand with nobleness and majesty; "Can
you trust me?" The actress too was divinely beautiful now, for her good
angel shone through her.

"I could trust you with my life!" was the reply.

"Ah! if I might call you friend, dear lady, what would I not
do--suffer--resign--to be worthy that title!"

"No, not friend!" cried the warm, innocent Mabel; "sister! I will call
you sister. I have no sister."

"Sister!" said Mrs. Woffington. "Oh, do not mock me! Alas! you do not
know what you say. That sacred name to me, from lips so pure as yours.
Mrs. Vane," said she, timidly, "would you think me presumptuous if I
begged you to--to let me kiss you?"

The words were scarce spoken before Mrs. Vane's arms were wreathed round
her neck, and that innocent cheek laid sweetly to hers.

Mrs. Woffington strained her to her bosom, and two great hearts, whose
grandeur the world, worshiper of charlatans, never discovered, had found
each other out and beat against each other. A great heart is as quick to
find another out as the world is slow.

Mrs. Woffington burst into a passion of tears and clasped Mabel tighter
and tighter in a half-despairing way. Mabel mistook the cause, but she
kissed her tears away.

"Dear sister," said she, "be comforted. I love you. My heart warmed
to you the first moment I saw you. A woman's love and gratitude are
something. Ah! you will never find me change. This is for life, look
you."

"God grant it!" cried the other poor woman. "Oh, it is not that, it i