e. Her nerves have been
sadly shaken by her illness."

The next day was Sunday; Ellinor was to go to church for the first time
since her illness. Her father had decided it for her, or else she would
fain have stayed away--she would hardly acknowledge why, even to herself,
but it seemed to her as if the very words and presence of God must there
search her and find her out.

She went early, leaning on the arm of her lover, and trying to forget the
past in the present. They walked slowly along between the rows of waving
golden corn ripe for the harvest. Mr. Corbet gathered blue and scarlet
flowers, and made up a little rustic nosegay for her. She took and stuck
it in her girdle, smiling faintly as she did so.

Hamley Church had, in former days, been collegiate, and was, in
consequence, much larger and grander than the majority of country-town
churches. The Ford Bank pew was a square one, downstairs; the Ford Bank
servants sat in a front pew in the gallery, right before their master.
Ellinor was "hardening her heart" not to listen, not to hearken to what
might disturb the wound which was just being skinned over, when she
caught Dixon's face up above. He looked worn, sad, soured, and anxious
to a miserable degree; but he was straining eyes and ears, heart and
soul, to hear the solemn words read from the pulpit, as if in them alone
he could find help in his strait. Ellinor felt rebuked and humbled.

She was in a tumultuous state of mind when they left church; she wished
to do her duty, yet could not ascertain what it was. Who was to help her
with wisdom and advice? Assuredly he to whom her future life was to be
trusted. But the case must be stated in an impersonal form. No one, not
even her husband, must ever know anything against her father from her.
Ellinor was so artless herself, that she had little idea how quickly and
easily some people can penetrate motives, and combine disjointed
sentences. She began to speak to Ralph on their slow, sauntering walk
homewards through the quiet meadows:

"Suppose, Ralph, that a girl was engaged to be married--"

"I can very easily suppose that, with you by me," said he, filling up her
pause.

"Oh! but I don't mean myself at all," replied she, reddening. "I am only
thinking of what might happen; and suppose that this girl knew of some
one belonging to her--we will call it a brother--who had done something
wrong, that would bring disgrace upon the whole family if it wa