Her eyes, which had seemed to mock at all they rested on, mocked no more,
but ever seemed to smile at some dear inward thought.

One night when she went forth to a Court ball, being all attired in
brocade of white and silver, and glittering with the Dunstanwolde
diamonds, which starred her as with great sparkling dewdrops, and yet had
not the radiance of her eyes and smile, she was so purely wonderful a
vision that Anne, who had been watching her through all the time when she
had been under the hands of her tirewoman, and beholding her now so
dazzling and white a shining creature, fell upon her knees to kiss her
hand almost as one who worships.

"Oh, sister," she said, "you look like a spirit. It is as if with the
earth you had naught to do--as if your eyes saw Heaven itself and Him who
reigns there."

The lovely orbs of Clorinda shone more still like the great star of
morning.

"Sister Anne," she said, laying her hand on her white breast, "at times I
think that I must almost be a spirit, I feel such heavenly joy. It is as
if He whom you believe in, and who can forgive and wipe out sins, has
forgiven me, and has granted it to me, that I may begin my poor life
again. Ah! I will make it better; I will try to make it as near an
angel's life as a woman can; and I will do no wrong, but only good; and I
will believe, and pray every day upon my knees--and all my prayers will
be that I may so live that my dear lord--my Gerald--could forgive me all
that I have ever done--and seeing my soul, would know me worthy of him.
Oh! we are strange things, we human creatures, Anne," with a tremulous
smile; "we do not believe until we want a thing, and feel that we shall