rl　who　had　braved　the　opinion　of　the　world　for　me；　and　who　therefore　should　have　been　sacred　in　my　eyes。　She　had　died　forgiving　me。　Her　implicit　trust　in　the　word　of　a　man　who　had　once　before　broken　his　promise　to　her　effaced　the　memory　of　all　her　pain　and　grief；　and　she　slept　in　peace。　Agatha；　who　had　given　me　her　girlish　faith；　had　found　in　her　heart　another　faith　to　give　methe　faith　of　a　mother。　Oh！　sir；　the　child；　HER　child！　God　alone　can　know　all　that　he　was　to　me！　The　dear　little　one　was　like　his　mother；　he　had　her　winning　grace　in　his　little　ways；　his　talk　and　ideas；　but　for　me；　my　child　was　not　only　a　child；　but　something　more；　was　he　not　the　token　of　my　forgiveness；　my　honor？
  〃He　should　have　more　than　a　father's　affection。　He　should　be　loved　as　his　mother　would　have　loved　him。　My　remorse　might　change　to　happiness　if　I　could　only　make　him　feel　that　his　mother's　arms　were　still　about　him。　I　clung　to　him　with　all　the　force　of　human　love　and　the　hope　of　heaven；　with　all　the　tenderness　in　my　heart　that　God　has　given　to　mothers。　The　sound　of　the　child's　voice　made　me　tremble。　I　used　to　watch　him　while　he　slept　with　a　sense　of　gladness　that　was　always　new；　albeit　a　tear　sometimes　fell　on　his　forehead；　I　taught　him　to　come　to　say　his　prayer　upon　my　bed　as　soon　as　he　awoke。　How　sweet　and　touching　were　the　simple　words　of　the　Pater　noster　in　the　innocent　childish　mouth！　Ah！　and　at　times　how　terrible！　'OUR　FATHER　WHICH　ART　IN　HEAVEN；'　he　began　one　morning；　then　he　paused'Why　is　it　not　OUR　MOTHER？'　he　asked；　and　my　heart　sank　at　his　words。
  〃From　the　very　first　I　had　sown　the　seeds　of　future　misfortune　in　the　life　of　the　son　whom　I　idolized。　Although　the　law　has　almost　countenanced　errors　of　youth　by　conceding　to　tardy　regret　a　legal　status　to　natural　children；　the　insurmountable　prejudices　of　society　bring　a　strong　force　to　the　support　of　the　reluctance　of　the　law。　All　serious　reflection　on　my　part　as　to　the　foundations　and　mechanism　of　society；　on　the　duties　of　man；　and　vital　questions　of　morality　date　from　this　period　of　my　life。　Genius　comprehends　at　first　sight　the　connection　between　a　man's　principles　and　the　fate　of　the　society　of　which　he　forms　a　part；　devout　souls　are　inspired　by　religion　with　the　sentiments　necessary　for　their　happiness；　but　vehement　and　impulsive　natures　can　only　be　schooled　by　repentance。　With　repentance　came　new　light　for　me；　and　I；　who　only　lived　for　my　child；　came　through　that　child　to　think　over　great　social　questions。
  〃I　determined　from　the　first　that　he　should　have　all　possible　means　of　success　within　himself；　and　that　he　should　be　thoroughly　prepared　to　take　the　high　position　for　which　I　destined　him。　He　learned　English；　German；　Italian；　and　Spanish　in　succession；　and；　that　he　might　speak　these　languages　correctly；　tutors　belonging　to　each　of　these　various　nationalities　were　successively　placed　about　him　from　his　earliest　childhood。　His　aptitude　delighted　me。　I　took　advantage　of　it　to　give　him　lessons　in　the　guise　of　play。　I　wished　to　keep　his　mind　free　from　fallacies；　and　strove　before　all　things　to　accustom　him　from　childhood　to　exert　his　intellectual　powers；　to　make　a　rapid　and　accurate　general　survey　of　a　matter；　and　then；　by　a　careful　study　of　every　least　particular；　to　master　his　subject　in　detail。　Lastly；　I　taught　him　to　submit　to　discipline　without　murmuring。　I　never　allowed　an　impure　or　improper　word　to　be　spoken　in　his　hearing。　I　was　careful　that　all　his　surroundings；　and　the　men　with　whom　he　came　in　contact；　should　conduce　to　one　endto　ennoble　his　nature；　to　set　lofty　ideals　before　him；　to　give　him　a　love　of　truth　and　a　horror　of　lies；　to　make　him　simple　and　natural　in　manner；　as　in　word　and　deed。　His　natural　aptitude　had　made　his　other　studies　easy　to　him；　and　his　imagination　made　him　quick　to　grasp　these　lessons　that　lay　outside　the　province　of　the　schoolroom。　What　a　fair　flower　to　tend！　How　great　are　the　joys　that　mothers　know！　In　those　days　I　began　to　understand　how　his　own　mother　had　been　able　to　live　and　to　bear　her　sorrow。　This；　sir；　was　the　great　event　of　my　life；　and　now　I　am　coming　to　the　tragedy　which　drove　me　hither。
  〃It　is　the　most　ordinary　commonplace　story　imaginable；　but　to　me　it　meant　the　most　terrible　pain。　For　some　years　I　had　thought　of　nothing　but　my　child；　and　how　to　make　a　man　of　him；　then；　when　my　son　was　growing　up　and　about　to　leave　me；　I　grew　afraid　of　my　loneliness。　Love　was　a　necessity　of　my　existence；　this　need　for　affection　had　never　been　satisfied；　and　only　grew　stronger　with　years。　I　was　in　every　way　capable　of　a　real　attachment；　I　had　been　tried　and　proved。　I　knew　all　that　a　steadfast　love　means；　the　love　that　delights　to　find　a　pleasure　in　self…sacrifice；　in　everything　I　did　my　first　thought　would　always　be　for　the　woman　I　loved。　In　imagination　I　was　fain　to　dwell　on　the　serene　heights　far　above　doubt　and　uncertainty；　where　love　so　fills　two　beings　that　happiness　flows　quietly　and　evenly　into　their　life；　their　looks；　and　words。　Such　love　is　to　a　life　what　religion　is　to　the　soul；　a　vital　force；　a　power　that　enlightens　and　upholds。　I　understood　the　love　of　husband　and　wife　in　nowise　as　most　people　do；　for　me　its　full　beauty　and　magnificence　began　precisely　at　the　point　where　love　perishes　in　many　a　household。　I　deeply　felt　the　moral　grandeur　of　a　life　so　closely　shared　by　two　souls　that　the　trivialities　of　everyday　existence　should　be　powerless　against　such　lasting　love　as　theirs。　But　where　will　the　hearts　be　found　whose　beats　are　so　nearly　isochronous　（let　the　scientific　term　pass）　that　they　may　attain　to　this　beatific　union？　If　they　exist；　nature　and　chance　have　set　them　far　apart；　so　that　they　cannot　come　together；　they　find　each　other　too　late；　or　death　comes　too　soon　to　separate　them。　There　must　be　some　good　reasons　for　these　dispensations　of　fate；　but　I　have　never　sought　to　discover　them。　I　cannot　make　a　study　of　my　wound；　because　I　suffer　too　much　from　it。　Perhaps　perfect　happiness　is　a　monster　which　our　species　should　not　perpetuate。　There　were　other　causes　for　my　fervent　desire　for　such　a　marriage　as　this。　I　had　no　friends；　the　world　for　me　was　a　desert。　There　is　something　in　me　that　repels　friendship。　More　than　one　person　has　sought　me　out；　but；　in　spite　of　efforts　on　my　part；　it　came　to　nothing。　With　many　men　I　have　been　careful　to　show　no　sign　of　something　that　is　called　'superiority；'　I　have　adapted　my　mind　to　theirs；　I　have　placed　myself　at　their　point　of　view；　joined　in　their　laughter；　and　overlooked　their　defects；　any　fame　I　might　have　gained；　I　would　have　bartered　for　a　little　kindly　affection。　They　parted　from　me　without　regret。　If　you　seek　for　real　feeling　in　Paris；　snares　await　you　everywhere；　and　the　end　is　sorrow。　Wherever　I　set　my　foot；　the　ground　round　about　me　seemed　to　burn。　My　readiness　to　acquiesce　was　considered　weakness　though　if　I　unsheathed　my　talons；　like　a　man　conscious　that　he　may　some　day　wield　the　thunderbolts　of　power；　I　was　thought　ill…natured；　to　others；　the　delightful　laughter　that　ceases　with　youth；　and　in　which　in　later　years　we　are　almost　ashamed　to　indulge；　seemed　absurd；　and　they　amused　themselves　at　my　expense。　People　may　be　bored　nowadays；　but　none　the　less　they　expect　you　to　treat　every　trivial　topic　with　befitting　seriousness。
  〃A　hateful　era！　You　must　bow　down　before　mediocrity；　frigidly　polite　mediocrity　which　you　despiseand　obey。　On　more　mature　reflection；　I　have　discovered　the　reasons　of　these　glaring　inconsistencies。　Mediocrity　is　never　out　of　fashion；　it　is　the　daily　wear　of　society；　genius　and　eccentricity　are　ornaments　that　are　locked　away　and　only　brought　out　on　certain　days。　Everything　that　ventures　forth　beyond　the　protection　of　the　grateful　shadow　of　mediocrity　has　something　startling　about　it。
  〃So；　in　the　midst　of　Paris；　I　led　a　solitary　life。　I　had　given　up　everything　to　society；　but　it　had　given　me　nothing　in　return；　and　my　child　was　not　enough　to　satisfy　my　heart；　because　I　was　not　a　woman。　My　life　seemed　to　be　growing　cold　within　me；　I　was　bending　under　a　load　of　secret　misery　when　I　met　the　woman　who　was　to　make　me　know　the　might　of　love；　the　reverence　of　an　acknowledged　love；　love　with　its　teeming　hopes　of　happinessin　one　wordlove。
  〃I　had　renewed　my　acquaintance　with　that　old　friend　of　my　father's　who　had　once　taken　charge　of　my　affairs。　It　was　in　his　house　that　I　first　met　her　whom　I　must　love　as　long　as　life　shall　last。　The　longer　we　live；　sir；　the　more　clearly　we　see　the　enormous　influence　of　ideas　upon　the　events　of　life。　Prejudices；　worthy　of　all　respect；　and　bred　by　noble　religious　ideas；　occasioned　my　misfortunes。　This　young　girl　belonged　to　an　exceeding　devout　family；　whose　views　of　Catholicism　were　due　to　the　spirit　of　a　sect　improperly　styled　Jansenists；　which；　in　former　times；　caused　troubles　in　France。　You　know　why？〃
  〃No；〃　said　Genestas。
  〃Jansenius；　Bishop　of　Ypres；　once　wrote　a　book　which　was　believed　to　contain　propositions　at　variance　with　the　doctrines　of　the　Holy　See。　When　examined　at　a　later　date；　there　appeared　to　be　nothing　heretical　in　the　wording　of　the　text；　some　authors　even　went　so　far　as　to　deny　that　the　heretical　propositions　had　any　real　existence。　However　it　was；　these　insignificant　disputes　gave　rise　to　two　parties　in　the　Gallican　Churchthe