Father Paul saw it and wondered, but appeared to see nothing.
"Poor boys! You console me, madame, for many sad thoughts.

I was a young man then, and, as you see, I am now a very old one, but I have known few more sorrowful days than the one when I left Moose Island." "Yet it must have been a hard and wearisome life ?" "Hard ?--Yes--but not wearisome.

We were ready to bear the hardness as long as we hoped to see the fruit of our labours.

I thought there had been no fruit, or very little; but you prove to me that I was too faithless." Mrs.Costello remained a moment silent.

She was much inclined to trust her guest with that part of her story which referred to Christian--no doubt he was in the habit of keeping stranger secrets than hers.
While she hesitated he spoke again.
"But the whole face of the country must have changed since I knew it.
Did you live in that neighbourhood ?" "For several years--all the first years of my married life, I lived on Moose Island itself, and my daughter--come to me a moment, Lucia,--was born there." She took Lucia's hand and drew her forward.