He kissed her hastily, and went out.
"I almost wish I was in your place, Alice," said Miss Sophia.
"I hope I may be half as happy when my time comes."
"What right have you to hope so, Sophia?" said Alice, rather sadly.
"To be sure," said the other, after a pause, "you have been ten times as good as I. I don't wonder you feel easy when you look back and think how blameless your life has been."
"Sophia, Sophia!" said Alice "you know it is not that. I never did a good thing in all my life that was not mixed and spoiled with evil. I never came up to the full measure of duty in any matter."
"But surely," said Miss Sophia, "if one does the best one can, it will be accepted?"
"It won't do to trust to that, Sophia. God's law requires perfection; and nothing less than perfection will be received as payment of its demand. If you owe a hundred dollars, and your creditor will not hold you quit for anything less than the whole sum, it is of no consequence whether you offer him ten or twenty."
"Why, according to that," said Miss Sophia. "it makes no difference what kind of life one leads."
Alice sighed, and shook her head.
"The fruit shows what the tree is. Love to God will strive to please him always."