After so many strange and unfortunate incidents, a sort of silent seriousness had passed over the two ladies, which showed itself in a sweet mutual effort to spare each other’s feelings.  The child had been buried privately in the chapel.  It rested there as the first offering to a destiny full of ominous foreshadowings.

Charlotte, as soon as ever she could, turned back to life and occupation, and here she first found Ottilie standing in need of her assistance.  She occupied herself almost entirely with her, without letting it be observed.  She knew how deeply the noble girl loved Edward.  She had discovered by degrees the scene which had preceded the accident, and had gathered every circumstance of it, partly from Ottilie herself, partly from the letters of the Major.

Ottilie, on her side, made Charlotte’s immediate life much more easy for her.  She was open, and even talkative, but she never spoke of the present, or of what had lately passed.  She had been a close and thoughtful observer.  She knew much, and now it all came to the surface.  She entertained, she amused Charlotte, and the latter still nourished a hope in secret to see her married to Edward after all.

But something very different was passing in Ottilie.  She had disclosed the secret of the course of her life to her friend, and she showed no more of her previous restraint and submissiveness.  By her repentance and her resolution she felt herself freed from the burden of her fault and her misfortune.  She had no more violence to do to herself.  In the bottom of her heart she had forgiven herself solely under condition of the fullest renunciation, and it was a condition which would remain binding for all time to come.

So passed away some time, and Charlotte now felt how deeply house and park, and lake and rocks and trees, served to keep alive in them all their most painful reminiscences.  They wanted change of scene, both of them, it was plain enough; but how it was to be effected was not so easy to decide.

Were the two ladies to remain together?  Edward’s previously expressed will appeared to enjoin it—­his declarations and his threats appeared to make it necessary; only it could not be now mistaken that Charlotte and Ottilie, with all their good will, with all their sense, with all their efforts to conceal it, could not avoid finding themselves in a painful situation toward each other.  In their conversation there was a constant endeavor to avoid doubtful subjects.  They were often obliged only half to understand some allusion; more often, expressions were misinterpreted, if not by their understandings, at any rate by their feelings.  They were afraid to give pain to each other, and this very fear itself produced the evil which they were seeking to avoid.