She was going to see if she could find some birds
for Olive,--the child's appetite was so poor; and, as she was out, she
would drop an early prayer at the cathedral. Faith and works.
"One must venture something, sometimes, in the cause of religion,"
thought she, as she started timorously on her way. But she had not gone
a dozen steps before she repented her temerity. There was some one
behind her.
There should not be any thing terrible in a footstep merely because it
is masculine; but Madame Delphine's mind was not prepared to consider
that. A terrible secret was haunting her. Yesterday morning she had
found a shoe-track in the garden. She had not disclosed the discovery to
Olive, but she had hardly closed her eyes the whole night.
The step behind her now might be the fall of that very shoe. She
quickened her pace, but did not leave the sound behind. She hurried
forward almost at a run; yet it was still there--no farther, no nearer.
Two frights were upon her at once--one for herself, another for Olive,
left alone in the house; but she had but the one prayer--"God protect my
child!" After a fearful time she reached a place of safety, the
cathedral.
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