“Oh, Juliette,” she sobbed, “I—I—only want peace, and you make my life so dreary and unhappy with your unrelenting hate!”
Juliette did not answer. She gave a choking gasp and rushed from the room.
Pansy saw her no more for several hours; then she entered her boudoir with a pale face and very red eyes, and said humbly:
“Pansy, please do not ask me to leave you! I love you—yes, love you, in spite of all my wickedness. Your goodness and sweetness have been growing on me for years, although I tried to steel myself to their noble influence, and your words just now opened my eyes and showed me my heart. I repent all my wickedness toward you, and beg you to forgive me for my share in your unhappiness. Henceforth I will love you as dearly as my uncle loved you, and I will do all that I can to atone for my heartless behavior in the past.”
“Oh, Juliette!” Pansy cried gladly. For it was an exquisite satisfaction to her to feel that she had conquered Juliette’s hate at last by her gentleness and patience.
She accepted Juliette’s repentance by a gentle kiss on her white brow.
CHAPTER XLIV.
A MOTHER’S YEARNING.
Pansy wrote to her mother of Colonel Falconer’s death, and in return received some unexpected news.
Mr. Finley, after he recovered from the long spell that had followed upon his fall and the injury to his head, had become more brutal and morose than ever, and made life with him very hard to bear. Finally he announced his intention of selling out all his property and going to California to invest the proceeds in real estate. He told his long-suffering wife that he was tired of her, and did not propose to take her with him. She acquiesced very thankfully in this decision, and the brute had gone away several months before, and no more had been heard of him, much to her joy and relief, for she had long ago repented her unfortunate second marriage.
Soon after Finley left, Willie had returned, and, to her surprise, he had been hard at work in New York, and brought back his savings. He was bitterly repentant for his wicked deed, and would write to his sister and tell her how much he had suffered from remorse. Mrs. Finley added that she was going to help her son set up business for himself, that he might marry little Kate North, to whom he was now engaged, with the free consent of her parents.