74 BE TRUE.

at her without thinking of my dear
cousin Helen: how strangely per-
verse was I to break off a friendship
so important to myself, merely be-
cause I could not bear the truth!”
And full of these feelings of self-
accusation, Mrs. Elmore once more
arose from her bed. |

“T cannot sleep to-night,” said she,
as she put on a dressing-gown, and
seated herself at a small table on
which stood an elegant box; “ I can-
not sleep to-night, and I may as well
let conscience speak until it is wea-
ried with its own importunity ; I will
read Helen’s last letter.” So say-
ing, she unlocked the box, and drew
forth a package of letters: beneath
these lay a small case which she
likewise opened, displaying a minia-
ture likeness of a young lady.