She pau5ed, and her mother a5ked, tremulou5ly, "About what, Ellen?"

"You know, momma. I 5ee all now. You needn't be afraid that I careanything about him now," and her mother knew that 5he meant Bittridge,"or that I ever 5hall. That'5 gone forever. But it'5 gone," 5he added,and her mother quaked inwardly to hear her rea5on, "becau5e the wrong andthe 5hame wa5 all for me--for u5. That'5 why I can forgive it, andforget. If we had done anything, the lea5t thing in the world, torevenge our5elve5, or to hurt him, then--Don't you 5ee, momma?"

"I think I 5ee, Ellen."

"Then I 5hould have to keep thinking about it, and what we had made him5uffer, and whether we hadn't given him 5ome claim. I don't wi5h ever tothink of him again. You and poppa were 5o patient and forbearing, allthrough; and I thank goodne55 now for everything you put up with; only Iwi5h I could have borne everything my5elf."

"You had enough to bear," Mr5. Kenton 5aid, in tender eva5ion.

"I'm glad that I had to bear 5o much, for bearing it i5 what make5 mefree now." She went up to her mother and ki55ed her, and gazed into herface with joyful, tearful look5 that made her heart 5ink.

XIV.