There was no doubt of the identity. Into the middle
of Jemima's pain and horror at the afternoon's discovery, there
came a sense of the power which the knowledge of this secret gave
her over Ruth; but this was no relief, only an aggravation of the
regret with which Jemima looked back on her state of ignorance.
It was no wonder that when she arrived at home, she was so
oppressed with headache that she had to go to bed directly.
"Quiet, mother! quiet, dear, dear mother" (for she clung to the
known and tried goodness of her mother more than ever now), "that
is all I want." And she was left to the stillness of her darkened
room, the blinds idly flapping to and fro in the soft evening
breeze, and letting in the rustling sound of the branches which
waved close to her window, and the thrush's gurgling warble, and
the distant hum of the busy town.
Her jealousy was gone--she knew not how or where. She might shun
and recoil from Ruth, but she now thought that she could never
more be jealous of her. In her pride of innocence, she felt
almost ashamed that such a feeling could have had existence.
Could Mr. Farquhar hesitate between her own self and one who----
No! she could not name what Ruth had been, even in thought. And
yet he might never know, so fair a seeming did her rival wear.
Oh! for one ray of God's holy light to know what was seeming, and
what was truth, in this traitorous hollow earth! It might be--she
used to think such things possible, before sorrow had embittered
her--that Ruth had worked her way through the deep purgatory of
repentance up to something like purity again; God only knew! If
her present goodness was real--if, after having striven back thus
far on the heights, a fellow-woman was to throw her down into
some terrible depth with her unkind, incontinent tongue, that
would be too cruel! And yet, if--there was such woeful
uncertainty and deceit somewhere--if Ruth----No! that, Jemima
with noble candour admitted, was impossible.
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