to tears and sobbed as if her heart was breaking.

And her grief was as real as it was violent; for she had loved the
handsome young law student, and she mourned the loss of his love.

Alden sat apparently unmoved, but in truth he was beginning to feel very
sorry for this woman, but it was with the sorrow we feel for a suffering
criminal, and totally distinct from sympathy or affection.

Presently her gust of tears and sobs exhausted itself, and she sighed
and dried her eyes and said:

"Yes, I know that all love is quite over between us."

"Quite over," assented Alden, emphatically.

"And it is not to renew that subject that I asked you to stay and listen
to me."

"No," said Alden, gently, "I presume not."

"But, though all thoughts of love are forever over between us, yet I can
not bear that we should live at enmity. As for me, I am not your enemy,
Alden Lytton."

"Nor am I yours, Mrs. Grey. You and I can live as strangers without
being enemies."

"Live as strangers! Oh, but that is just what would break my heart
utterly! Why should we live as strangers? If all love is over between
us, and if we are still not enemies, if we have forgiven each other, why
should we two live as strangers in this little town? Why may we not meet
at least as the common friends of every day?"

"Because the memory of the past would preclude the possibility of our
meeting pleasantly or profitably."

"Oh, Alden, you are very hard! You have not forgiven me!"

"I have utterly forgiven you."

"But you cherish hard thoughts of me?"

"Mrs. Grey, I must regard your actions--the actions that separated
us--as they really are," answered Alden, sadly and firmly, as he arose
and took his hat to leave the room.

"No, no, no; _don't_ go yet! You _must_ hear me--you _shall_ hear me!
Even a convicted murderer is allowed to speak for himself!" she
exclaimed, with passionate tears.

Alden sighed and sat down.

"You must regard my actions as they really are, you say. Ah, but the
extenuating circumstances, the temptations, the motives--aye, the
motives!--have you ever thought of them?"

"I can see no motive that could justify your acts," said Alden, coldly.

"No, not justify--I do not justify them even to myself--not justify, but
_palliate_ them, Alden--palliate them at least in your eyes, if in no
others."

"And why in my eyes, Mrs. Grey?"

"Oh, Alden, all was planned for your sake!"

"For _my_ sake? I pray you do not say that!"