or love of the world; and
they had rejected even the best the world could give.

Was it unjust, unfair that the boon they asked for in return was given
to them?

If, on the one hand, Molly had inherited evil tendencies and had fallen
on evil circumstances, does it seem strange that she could share in good
as well as in evil?

It is easy to take scandal at Molly's inherited legacy of evil
tendencies. It is easy to take scandal at the facility of her
forgiveness. The two stumbling-blocks are in reality the two aspects of
one truth, that no human being stands alone and that each gains or
suffers with or by his fellows.

The sinless women pleaded for sinners in a glorious human imitation of
the Divine pleading. And the exuberant vitality poured by the Conqueror
of death into the human race, flowing strongly through that tiny chapel,
had carried the little, thin, stagnant stream of Molly's soul into the
great flood of grace that purifies by sorrow and by love.

Molly knelt in one of the back benches with her eyes fixed on the
monstrance, in a very agony of sorrow and self-abasement. I would not if
I could analyse that penitence. Happily as life goes on we shrink more,
not less, from raising even the most reverent gaze on the secret places
of the soul. We do not know in what form, if in any form at all, and not
rather, in a light without words, the Divine Peace reached her. Was it,
"Go in peace, thy sins are forgiven thee?" Or was it perhaps, "This day
shalt thou be with Me in Paradise?" We cannot tell. Only the lay-sister
who saw Molly go out with the little black bag in her hand said
afterwards that the lady had seemed happy.

THE END.

_A Selection from the Catalogue of_

G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS

Complete Catalogues sent on application

"_A work of absorbing interest_"

THE SOCIALIST

BY GUY THORNE

Author of

"WHEN IT WAS DARK," "A LOST CAUSE," ETC.

"A story that leads one on by its boldness, its vigours, its interesting
realism of both ducal splendour and evil squalor, and by the individual
interests it attaches to social phases and problems. _The Socialist_
contains plenty of dramatic description and intensely studied character
to remind one of _When it Was Dark_ and other well staged and
effectively managed story-dramas from the same busy and clever
pen."--_The Dundee Advertiser_.

"A work of absorbing interest dealing with one of the burning questions
of the day in a manner alike entertai