ind must
follow the same rule. Nothing you can say will hurt me now."

"I only wanted to ask, Emily, if you were engaged--at one time--to marry
Mr. Mirabel. Is it true?"

"False! He pressed me to consent to an engagement--and I said he must
not hurry me."

"What made you say that?"

"I thought of Alban Morris."

Vainly Cecilia tried to restrain herself. A cry of joy escaped her.

"Are you glad?" Emily asked. "Why?"

Cecilia made no direct reply. "May I tell you what you wanted to know, a
little while since?" she said. "You asked why Mr. Morris left it all to
me, instead of speaking to you himself. When I put the same question to
him, he told me to read what he had written. 'Not a shadow of suspicion
rests on Mr. Mirabel,' he said. 'Emily is free to marry him--and free
through Me. Can _I_ tell her that? For her sake, and for mine, it must
not be. All that I can do is to leave old remembrances to plead for me.
If they fail, I shall know that she will be happier with Mr. Mirabel
than with me.' 'And you will submit?' I asked. 'Because I love her,' he
answered, 'I must submit.' Oh, how pale you are! Have I distressed you?"

"You have done me good."

"Will you see him?"

Emily pointed to the manuscript. "At such a time as this?" she said.

Cecilia still held to her resolution. "Such a time as this is the right
time," she answered. "It is now, when you most want to be comforted,
that you ought to see him. Who can quiet your poor aching heart as _he_
can quiet it?" She impulsively snatched at the manuscript and threw it
out of sight. "I can't bear to look at it," she said. "Emily! if I have
done wrong, will you forgive me? I saw him this morning before I came
here. I was afraid of what might happen--I refused to break the dreadful
news to you, unless he was somewhere near us. Your good old servant
knows where to go. Let me send her--"

Mrs. Ellmother herself opened the door, and stood doubtful on the
threshold, hysterically sobbing and laughing at the same time. "I'm
everything that's bad!" the good old creature burst out. "I've been
listening--I've been lying--I said you wanted him. Turn me out of my
situation, if you like. I've got him! Here he is!"

In another moment, Emily was in his arms--and they were alone. On his
faithful breast the blessed relief of tears came to her at last: she
burst out crying.

"Oh, Alban, can you forgive me?"

He gently raised her head, so that he could see her face.

"My love