ch showed marks of agitation:

"Please excuse me to-night. I will walk on the beach early in the
morning."

As the sun came up out of the sea, and he turned away from watching
the splendid vision, he saw one that affected him more. She stood a
little way off, looking intently seaward; and the morning took a new
grace from the flush on her cheek and the light in her clear, calm
eyes. His eyes grew dim as he looked at her. If she had felt any
agitation, it was gone when she turned and waited for him to
approach. She gave him her hand.

"Is it not a beautiful morning?" she said. "Don't you think it should
make us very gentle and unselfish?"

The falling cadence of her voice was more musical than the waves that
babbled at her feet. They walked side by side along the sands.

"Yes," he answered, "yes. If all mornings were like this----" he broke
off and looked out to sea.

They came among scattered bowlders, and stood still. With diffidence
she took out of his letter the paper with the printed slip attached,
and gave it to him.

"You were not offended at my sending them?"

"No, I was glad you sent them. It was thoughtful of you." She spoke
low and seriously. "But do I quite understand?"

She asked him several questions, modest but straightforward, with her
grave eyes on his face. While he answered he was thinking, "To the
pure, all things are pure."

She dropped her eyes and sighed.

"It is a dreadful story; it makes me very sad."

Then after a minute she looked up again and asked:

"What are you going to do?"

He shook with vague apprehension, and leaned sidewise on the rock.

"With her?" he asked. "I hardly know. I thought you would advise me.
You cannot think I am under obligation to keep her any longer? I am
not bound to her by any law."

She did not answer for a minute or look at him. When she did, there
was a strong fervor in her voice:

"We are all bound; we are all under obligation to help, to guard, to
seek and to save them that are lost."

She stood before him. Her face was like the face of the angel of pity,
her tones full of passionate pleading.

"Did you take her ignorantly? Have you kept her only because the law
made you? I know you better. What will become of her if you cast her
off? She might be worse than she is."

She turned away and shuddered. Her words pierced him the deeper
because they were the same Cora had used, because they were his own
smothered thoughts.

He was silent,