In a few days he had, without any effort of the good man and
involuntarily on his own part, confided to him the heavy weight that
troubled his conscience.
"Ah!" said Mr. Norton, his eyes full of profound sorrow, and probing
the wound now laid open to the quick, "it was a terrible weakness to
have yielded thus to the wiles of that artful foreigner. May Heaven
forgive you!"
Surprised and shocked at this reception of his confession, Mr. Brown,
who had hoped-for consolation or counsel from his sympathizing
companion, felt cut to the heart. His countenance settled into an
expression of utter despair.
"Why have you sought so diligently to restore me to health,--to a
disgraced and miserable existence? You must have known, from the
delirous words of my illness, of which you have told me, that life
would be a worthless thing to me. You should have permitted me the
privilege of death", said he bitterly.
"The privilege of death!" said Mr. Norton. "Don't you know, my dear
sir, that a man unprepared to live, is also unprepared to die? Every
effort I have put forth during your illness has been for the purpose
of saving you for a happy life here, and for a blissful immortality".
"A happy life here! For me, who have deeply offended and disgraced my
friends and my pure and unstained ancestry!"
"It is true, in an hour of weakness and irresolution, you have sinned
against your friends. But you have sinned all your life against a
Being infinitely higher that earthly friends.
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