"Leave me before my marriage, Diana! Is it not arranged that you are to live with mamma, and be a daughter to her, when I am gone? And you will come and stay with Valentine and me at our cottage; and you will advise me about my house-keeping, and teach me how to be a sensible, useful, economical wife, as well as a devoted one. Leave us, Di! What have I done, or mamma, or Mr. Sheldon, or anybody, that you should talk of anything so dreadful?" "What have you done, dear girl, dear friend, dear sister? Everything to win my undying love and gratitude. You have changed me from a hard disappointed bitter-minded woman--envious, at times, even of you--into your loving and devoted friend. You have changed me from a miserable creature into a contented and hopeful one. You have taught me to forget that my childhood and youth were one long night of wretchedness and degradation. You have taught me to forgive the father who suffered my life to be what it was, and made no one poor effort to lift me out of the slough of despond to which he had sunk. I can say no more, Charlotte. There are things that cannot be told by words." "And you want to leave me!" said Charlotte, in accents half-wondering, half-reproachful. "My father wants me to leave you, Lotta; and some one else--some one whom you must know and like before I can be sure I like him myself." "Him!" cried Charlotte, with a faint shriek of surprise. "Diana, WHAT are you going to tell me?" "A secret, Lotta; something which my father has forbidden me to tell any one, but which I will not hide from you. My poor father has found a kind friend--a friend who is almost as good to him as you are to me. How merciful Heaven is in raising up friends for outcasts! And I have seen a good deal of this gentleman who is so kind to papa, and the result is that--chiefly for papa's sake, and because I know that he is generous and brave and true, I mean papa's friend, M. Lenoble--I have consented to be his wife." "Diana!" cried Charlotte, with a sternness of manner that was alarming in so gentle a creature, "it shall never be!" "What dear?"