Was it a dream? or a reality of her unconscious infancy, far away, forgotten? She did not know; but at that moment in the shadow of her soul a light appeared, rose-red like the reflection of the burning hearth in that distant picture of human error and of human pity. She did not think of laying her hand on her husband's head as her mother had laid hers on the head of that father who, perhaps, had been more guilty than Antonio; but she remembered the serene and beautiful life of that woman who had fulfilled her cycle as all good women must fulfil theirs, mid the love of her children and for their sake. Never had the widow made those sad memories to weigh upon her children. If they suffered, as by law of nature all born of woman must suffer, the memory of her did not add to their grief, but softened it. "And I, too," thought Regina, "must fulfil my cycle. Our child must never know that we have suffered and have erred." So she must pardon; more than ever she must pardon! Like the waters of the river, she must pass silently towards the light of an horizon beyond the earth, towards the sea of infinite charity, where the greatest of human errors is no more than the remembrance of an extinguished spark. * * * * * They came home in the carriage left by the five foreigners. A tender and transparent twilight had fallen around and within them. Resigned to the Nostalgia of a light lost for ever, not joyous nor very sad, like husband and wife re-united after a long separation, they clasped each other by the hand, silently promising to help each other as one helps the blind. Thus they returned into the circle of the city and of the past. It seemed to Regina that a long time, a whole period of life, had passed since she and her husband had stopped before the wayside tavern. But, returning, as their driver pulled up at the same place to light his lamps, she saw the girl in the pink blouse still sitting by the inside door, and the couple, light-footed and black against the background of golden glass, were at their dancing still. THE END RICHARD CLAY & SONS, LIMITED, BREAD STREET HILL, E.C., AND BUNGAY, SUFFOLK. CHAPMAN AND HALL'S NEW BOOKS _ALFRED RUSSEL WALLACE'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY_ =MY LIFE: A RECORD OF EVENTS AND OPINIONS.= By ALFRED RUSSEL WALLACE, Author of 'Man's Place in the Universe,' 'Darwinism,' 'Geographical Distribution of Animals,' 'Natural Selection and Tropical Nature,' 'The Malay Archipelago.' With numerous Portraits, Illustrations, Facsimile Letters, etc. Two Vols. Demy 8vo, 25_s._ net.