26 THE FLOWERS

One who in retirement would have been the
sweetest friend and companion which sad-
ness or sorrow could ever know, being no
douht Divinely endowed with that holy
peace of mind and tranquillity of spirit
which the world can never disturb, because
the world can have no intercourse therewith.
Yet, at the same time, being a character
which was so entirely overlooked in scenes
of bustle and worldly commotion, that her
companions seemed seldom to take any fur-
ther notice of her than to push her aside
when she crossed their paths ; still, however,
she possessed in so large a degree the spirit
of harmlessness so truly congenial with the
Christian character, that it would have been
impossible (one should have thought) to have
hated this little girl. Nevertheless she did
incur the active hatred of Mademoiselle
Victoire, and this in a way which such as are
not somewhat skilled in the nature of the
human heart will not easily comprehend, but
which will be evident enough to those to
whom the secret recesses of that fountain of
all that is impure are in some degree re-
vealed. Some fault had been committed in
the house soon after the arrival of Made-