changed man. He was now vowing that he would begin this new life by
uniting Edward and Josephine. It was his jealousy, he admitted to
himself, which had been the root of all the mischief.

Edward had been his hero, too, in his younger days, and it was this
common worship of a nobler and more gifted nature which had brought him
and Josephine together. Why had he not let it remain the base of their
intercourse? Their marriage would then have been a happy one, and his
own life would have been filled with larger thoughts and more generous
feelings.

While Pastor Tuft was meditating, his wife was acting. She too, had been
refused admittance to her brother's house. So she was writing to him.
For whatever wrong they might have done, she said, they wished to make
amends. They had been intolerant, she allowed, and they were sorry for
it. But surely they were worthy to be accused? Would he not, then, tell
them plainly what they had done to make him so angry?

Some days afterwards, Josephine received a large envelope addressed to
her by her brother. But she was surprised, on opening it, to find that
it was full of papers in two strange handwritings. They were letters to
Kallem, from Ragni and Karl Meek. Josephine trembled as she looked at
them. She began by chance with Meek's letters. Ragni innocent? Good God!
was she innocent? Yes! Now she understood why Edward had driven away on
the day of the funeral with only Karl Meek by his side; but she could
not understand how he had survived it.

The servant knocked at her bedroom door, saying that supper was ready.

"No, no!" she managed to exclaim, as she writhed in shame and sorrow.