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"Ah! I never said I could do it I could not tell hi would stop it," sobbed Rachel, "only I

wished to feel it was not very " She laid her weary

head on Ermine's lap, and Erht and free, and capable, his life see it to mine; and if

people shunned and disliked him for my sake!"

"Surely that will depend on yourself I have never seen you in society,

but if you have the fear ofhim unpopular or remarkable before

your eyes, you will avoid it"

"Oh, yes, I know," said Rachel, impatiently "I did think I should not

have been a commonplace woman," and she shed a few tears

Eran to think that she had been

arguing on a wrong tack, and that it would be better after all for Alick

to be free Rachel looked up presently "It must be very odd to you to

hearthe difference I used to think

it so poor and weak to be in love, or to want any one to take care of

one I thought ery, and ordinary opinions

so contemptible, and had such schemes for myself And this--and this

is such a break down, my blunders and their consequences have been so

unspeakably dreadful, and now instead of suffering, dying--as I felt I

ought--it has only made me just like other women, for I know I could not

live without him, and then all the rest of it must come for his sake"