“Lord, Lord, save me!”
Oh, what relief when the last shout died away in the night, and all was dark and still again. She ventured forth from her hiding-place, she flung herself on the bed and hid her face in the pillows; but from her thoughts there was no escape. In them her mother rose up before her, menacing, majestic, like storm-clouds gathering about the mountains; for what must not her mother have suffered for her sake! No slumber visited her eyelids, nor peace her soul; and day came, but no solace. She walked back and forth, back and forth, thinking only of how she could flee; but she dared not meet her mother, she dared not go out during the day-time, and the evening would bring them again! Still she must wait; it would be even more dangerous to take flight before midnight. And where, then? She had no money, she knew not where to go; but surely there must be merciful people somewhere as there was a merciful God. He knew that however she might have erred it was from no actual wickedness; He knew her penitence; He, too, knew her helplessness. She listened for her mother’s steps below, but did not hear them; she trembled at thought of hearing her on the stairs, but she did not come. The serv-
