"Father," Herminia answered, in a tremulous voice, "I have fought a

good fight; I have pressed toward the mark for the prize of a high

calling. And when I heard you preach, I felt just this once, let

come what come might, I must step forth to tell you so."

The Dean gazed at her with melting eyes. Love and pity beamed

strong in them. "Have you come to repent, my child?" he asked,

with solemn insistence.

"Father," Herminia made answer, lingering lovingly on the word, "I

have nothing to repent of. I have striven hard to do well, and

have earned scant praise for it. But I come to ask to-day for one

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grasp of your hand, one word of your blessing. Father, father,

kiss me!"

The old man drew himself up to his full height, with his silvery

hair round his face. Tears started to his eyes; his voice

faltered. But he repressed himself sternly. "No, no, my child,"

he answered. "My poor old heart bleeds for you. But not till you

come with full proofs of penitence in your hands can I ever receive

you. I have prayed for you without ceasing. God grant you may

repent. Till then, I command you, keep far away from me, and from

your untainted sisters."

The child felt her mother's hand tremble quivering in her own, as

she led her from the church; but never a word did Herminia say,

lest her heart should break with it. As soon as she was outside,

little Dolly looked up at her. (It had dwindled from Dolores to

Dolly in real life by this time; years bring these mitigations of

our first fierce outbursts.) "Who was that grand old gentleman?"

the child asked, in an awe-struck voice.

And Herminia, clasping her daughter to her breast, answered with a

stifled sob, "That was your grandpa, Dolly; that was my father, my

father."

The child put no more questions just then as is the wont of

children; but she treasured up the incident for long in her heart,

wondering much to herself why, if her grandpa was so grand an old

gentleman, she and her mamma should have to live by themselves in

such scrubby little lodgings. Also, why her grandpa, who looked so

kind, should refuse so severely to kiss her mammy.

It was the beginning of many doubts and questionings to Dolores.

A year later, the Dean died suddenly. People said he might have

risen to be a bishop in his time, if it hadn't been for that

unfortunate episode about his daughter and young Merrick. Herminia

was only once mentioned in his will; and even then merely to

implore the divine forgiveness for her. She wept over that sadly.

She didn't want the girls' money, she was better able to take care

of herself than Elsie and Ermyntrude; but it cut her to the quick

that her father should have quitted the world at last without one

word of reconciliation.




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