And then to be alone with all these men, and one of them had told her he loved her, and hated the man she was betrothed to! Shame tortured this delicate creature, as well as fear.

Happy for her that of late, and only of late, she had learned to pray in earnest.

_"Qui precari novit, premi potest, non potest opprimi."_ It was now a race between starvation and drowning, and either way death stared them in the face..