She had so timed her letter that Lady Macleod should have no opportunity of answering it.

The answer was written there in the mingled anger and sorrow of those austere features.
"Alice!" she said, as she took her niece in her arms and kissed her; "oh, Alice, what is this ?" "Yes, aunt; it is very bad, I know," and poor Alice tried to make a jest of it.

"Young ladies are very wicked when they don't know their own minds.

But if they haven't known them and have been wicked, what can they do but repent ?" "Repent!" said Lady Macleod.

"Yes; I hope you will repent.