ent and sat on the bench.

Bella continued her walk for some time, but at last could not resist
the temptation. She came and sat down on the bench, and blushed; as
much as to say, "I have the courage to come, but not to speak upon a
certain subject, which shall be nameless."

The Sister, as may be imagined, was not so shy. She opened a
conversation. "I committed a fault yesterday. I spoke to you of myself,
and of the past: it is discouraged by our rules. We are bound to
inquire the griefs of others; not to tell our own."

This was a fair opening, but Bella was too delicate to show her wounds
to a fresh acquaintance.

The Sister, having failed at that, tried something very different.

"But I could tell you a pitiful case about another. Some time ago I
nursed a gentleman whom love had laid on a sick-bed."

"A gentleman! What! can they love as we do?" said Bella, bitterly.

"Not many of them; but this was an exception. But I don't know whether
I ought to tell these secrets to so young a lady."

"Oh, yes--please--what else is there in this world worth talking about?
Tell me about the poor man who could love as we can."

The Sister seemed to hesitate, but at last decided to go on.

"Well, he was a man of the world, and he had not always been a good
man; but he was trying to be. He had fallen in love with a young lady,
and seen the beauty of virtue, and was going to marry her and lead a
good life. But he was a man of honor, and there was a lady for whom he
thought it was his duty to provide. He set his lawyer to draw a deed,
and his lawyer appointed a day for signing it at her house. The poor
man came because his lawyer told him. Do you think there was any great
harm in that?"

"No; of course not."

"Well, then, he lost his love for that."

Miss Bruce's color began to come and go, and her supple figure to
crouch a little. She said nothing.

The Sister continued: "Some malicious person went and told the young
lady's father the gentleman was in the habit of visiting that lady, and
would be with her at a certain hour. And so he was; but it was the
lawyer's appointment, you know. You seem agitated."

"No, no; not agitated," said Bella, "but astonished; it is so like a
story I know. A young lady, a friend of mine, had an anonymous letter,
telling her that one she loved and esteemed was unworthy. But what you
have told me shows me how deceitful appearances may be. What was your
patient's name?"

"It is against o