“No; I do not know.”

“The flower of divine forgiveness.  I know, although you have never told me, what hot, bitter hate swells in your heart against the woman who incited your father to this sin, and even against your father himself.  I do not know if we can add to the happiness of the dead; but if it be so, lay your hand on your mother’s heart and say so.”

After a long time I did it.  I forgave them.  If I meet and can talk to my mother in Heaven I will tell her why.

She was buried.  No news came from my father.  Tayne Hall was closed, and I went to live with my mother’s cousin.

That is the story of the sin; this is the punishment: 

Some years afterward Sir Roland brought his wife back to England—­he married her when my mother died—–­but no one would receive them.  They were banished from all civilized society, and to compensate herself for that, my mother’s rival mixed with the fastest and worst set in England.  The end of it was that, after completely ruining him, she ran away from him and left him as he had left my mother.

His death redeemed his life.  He was found dead on my mother’s grave, and I loved him better in death than in life.

That is what one wicked woman can do.  There is one prayer that should never leave man’s lips, and it is:  “Lead us not into temptation.”

THE END.

[Transcriber’s Note:  The following typographical errors from the original edition have been corrected.

pictuesque has been changed to picturesque.

stood lookinging at her has been changed to stood looking at her.

The quotation mark in "Oh, baby brother has been removed.

recumbent postion has been changed to recumbent position.

The quotation mark in "My mother grasped my hand has been removed.

A missing quotation mark has been added to "My life is spoiled, I cried.

A missing quotation mark has been added to "You will be compelled to recognize mine, Mrs. Eastwood, if you remain here, she said.

A missing quotation mark has been added to Why do you never think or speak of my mother?]