"You are quite right, Hetty. We are all of us more given to one fault than to others, and only God can cure us of them. He gives us time, and grace, and many lessons; some, sad ones. This has been a sad one to you, but you see it has opened your eyes to your sin. As to forgiving you, I do indeed, Hetty, and so does Mr. Eyre."
"And Miss Flo? Oh! Does she forget me altogether?"
"Forget you? No, indeed—she is never done crying for you. And she is so ill and so weak that you must come back to her, Hetty."
Hetty opened both mouth and eyes as wide as ever she could, and uttered the most extraordinary shout; the poor girl really did not know what she was doing.
"Hetty! Behave, do! To yell like that in a lady's very ears! Eh! Here come the tears! I've got my poor Hetty back again. I didn't know that one with a silent tongue and dry eyes. You're a lucky girl, Hetty, to have such people to do with as your master and mistress; and indeed, ma'am, the girl's been breaking her heart after you."
Matty took her sister away into the other room, where she kissed her, and coaxed her, and cried with her, and altogether contrived to quiet her so that she was in a fit state to set out at once with her mistress.
"Dan shall bring your things up in the evening, Hetty," said her mother. "And now, my dearie dear, remember this time as long as you live, and don't fall back into idle ways. Remember what Matty said to you: you'll find it's true. These thoughtless doings are real sins, and it's only God can change your heart. God bless you, Hetty! I'm glad for you, child."
On the way to Adelaide Terrace Hetty asked many questions about Flo's state.
"I don't see how you can bear the sight of me, ma'am, nor Miss Flo either."
"You'll soon know what she thinks about it, Hetty. And you know, if you had got back and found her still asleep, so that no harm was done, your fault would have been exactly the same, yet you would have expected me to forgive you. It seems to me, therefore, that we ought to forgive you now. You must learn not to measure a fault by its consequences; you were wrong to leave the child, and it would have been just as wrong if poor Black Rover had not visited the hut while you were absent. Do you understand, Hetty?"