"But not now; not yet," she murmured to herself. "To-night, at least,

there shall be no remorse!"

Wandering without a purpose, it so chanced that they turned into a

street, at one extremity of which stood Hilda's tower. There was a

light in her high chamber; a light, too, at the Virgin's shrine; and the

glimmer of these two was the loftiest light beneath the stars. Miriam

drew Donatello's arm, to make him stop, and while they stood at some

distance looking at Hilda's window, they beheld her approach and throw

it open. She leaned far forth, and extended her clasped hands towards

the sky.

"The good, pure child! She is praying, Donatello," said Miriam, with a

kind of simple joy at witnessing the devoutness of her friend. Then her

own sin rushed upon her, and she shouted, with the rich strength of her

voice, "Pray for us, Hilda; we need it!"

Whether Hilda heard and recognized the voice we cannot tell. The window

was immediately closed, and her form disappeared from behind the snowy

curtain. Miriam felt this to be a token that the cry of her condemned

spirit was shut out of heaven.




readonlinefreebook.com Copyright 2016 - 2024