' At the moment I believed her, thinking she had
adopted my views; but with all her bravery, her real feelings conquered
her, and I saw. Not that she had spoken untruly, but she had implied the
truth only in part, I knew my child loved me, and she meant honestly that
my pain would rob her of perfect happiness with you, --my pain would form
an eclipse strong enough to darken everything. Do you think this knowledge
made me glad or proud? Do you know how love, that in the withholding
justifies itself, suffers from the pain inflicted? But I said, 'After all,
it is as I think; she will thank me for it some day.' I was not altogether
selfish, please remember. Then, as I saw her silent wrestling, came
distrust of myself; I remembered I was pitted against two, younger and no
more fallible than myself. As soon as doubt of myself attacked me, I
strove to look on the other side; I strove to rid myself of the old
prejudices, the old superstitions, the old narrowness of faith; it was
useless, --I was too old, and my prejudices had become part of me. It was
in this state of perturbation that I had gone one day up to the top floor
of the Palace Hotel. Thank you, Doctor."
The latter had quietly risen and administered a stimulant. As he resumed
his seat, Levice continued:
"I was seated at a window overlooking Market Street.
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