The soft rose colour mounted to the girl’s cheeks with pleasure.
‘I am so glad,’ she whispered.
‘So you ought to be, for it is all your doing. Ever since I saw you last, I have been unable to get those words out of my ears:
“To thine own self be true,
It follows, as the night, the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.”
I was untrue to myself, Rhoda, when I allowed my friends to persuade me to become a priest, but, at the time, I was in no fit state to judge of anything. But I think I might have remained in it for ever, had it not been for your encouragement and brave advice. I suppose I shall make a great scandal amongst my brethren by leaving it, but they will not make it more public than necessary. The churches always hush up anything that does not redound to their credit. But I am willing, in this case, to take all the blame on myself.’
‘And what are you going to do, Fred? You will not prosecute that unfortunate man, I hope,’ said Rhoda, wistfully.
‘Ah! Rhoda, there is no need to do it! The temptation has been removed from my way. He is dead.’
‘Dead!’ she echoed, wonderingly.