elli may be persuaded to do what is right
toward you.

"No, lady, I have no hope of that," said Giulia, dejectedly, "for when
a man begins to tire of the woman whom he has injured he also begins
to despise her, and to consider himself ill-used because she even
dares to exist."

"Perhaps you would wish to repudiate him," suggested Edith, who felt
that such would be her attitude toward any man who had so wronged her.

"Oh, no; much as I have suffered, I still love Emil, and would gladly
serve him for the remainder of my life, if he would but honor me with
his name; but I know him too well ever to hope for that--I know that
he is utterly selfish and would mercilessly set his heel upon me if I
should attempt to stand in the way of his purposes. There is nothing
left for me but to go back to my own country, confess my sin to my
parents, and hide myself from the world until I die."

"Ah! but you forget that you have your child to rear and educate, his
mind and life to mold, and--try to make him a better man than his
father," said Edith, with a tender earnestness, which instantly melted
the injured girl to tears.

"Oh, that you should have thought of that, when I, his mother, forget
my duty to him, and think only of my own unhappiness!" sobbed the
conscience-stricken girl, as she hugged the wondering child closer to
her breast. "Yesterday I told myself that I would send Ino to him, and
then end my misery forever."

"Don't!" exclaimed Edith, sharply, her face almost convulsed with
pain. "Your life belongs to God, and--this baby. Live above your
trouble, Giulia; never let your darling have the pain and shame of
learning that his mother was a suicide. If you have made one mistake,
do not imagine that you can expiate it by committing another a
hundred-fold worse. Ah! think what comfort there would be in rearing
your boy to a noble manhood, and then hear him say, 'What I am my
mother has made me!'"

She had spoken earnestly, appealingly, and when she ceased, the
unhappy woman seized her hand and covered it with kisses.

"Oh, you have saved me!" she sobbed; "you have poured oil into my
wounds. I will do as you say--I will rise above my sin and shame; and
if Ino lives to be an honor to himself and the world, I shall tell him
of the angel who saved us both. I am very sorry for you," she added,
looking, regretfully, up at Edith; "I could almost lay down my life
for you now; but--Correlli is rich--very rich, and you may, perha