After waiting a few minutes, Dr.Wilkinson said, "Go now to the little study joining my dining-room, and wait there till I come: I shall give you half an hour to consider." Louis left the room, and repaired to the study, where he threw himself on a chair in a paroxysm of grief, which, for the first quarter of an hour, admitted of no alleviation: "He had no character.

The doctor had heard all before.

All believed him guilty--and how _could_ Ferrers act so?
How could it ever be found out?
And, oh! his dear father and mother, and his grandfather, would believe it." By degrees the violence of his distress subsided, and he sent up his tearful petitions to his heavenly Father, till his overloaded heart felt lightened of some of its sorrow.

As he grew calmer, remembrances of old faults came before him, and he thought of a similar sin of his own, and how nearly an innocent person had suffered for it--and this he felt was much easier to bear than the consciousness of having committed the fault himself; and he remembered the sweet verses in the first Epistle of St.Peter: "What glory is it if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye take it patiently; but if when ye do well and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
For even hereunto ye were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that we should follow His steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth; who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously,"-- and the feeling of indignation against Ferrers was gradually changed into almost pity for him, for Louis knew by experience the pain of a loaded conscience.

While his thoughts thus ran over the past and present, he heard the firm step of Dr.Wilkinson crossing the hall, and nearly at the same moment that gentleman entered the room.