She answered by opening her arms to him with more warmth than ever, and bidding him rest his weary head upon her breast.

Had they not taken each other for better or for worse?
had not their bargain been that they would be happy together if such should be their lot, or sad together if God should so will it ?--and would she be the first to cry off from such a bargain?
It seldom happens that a woman's love is quenched by a man's crime.

Women in this respect are more enduring than men; they have softer sympathies, and less acute, less selfish, appreciation of the misery of being joined to that which has been shamed.

It was not many hours since Gertrude had boasted to herself of the honour and honesty of her lord, and tossed her head with defiant scorn when a breath of suspicion had been muttered against his name.

Then she heard from his own lips the whole truth, learnt that that odious woman had only muttered what she soon would have a right to speak out openly, knew that fame and honour, high position and pride of life, were all gone; and then in that bitter hour she felt that she had never loved him as she did then.
He had done wrong, he had sinned grievously; but no sooner did she acknowledge so much than she acknowledged also that a man may sin and yet not be all sinful; that glory may be tarnished, and yet not utterly destroyed; that pride may get a fall, and yet live to rise again.