The little ones came about her again, but with less confidence, both
because she had been away, and because they had grown more than they had
improved. But soon things were nearly on the old footing with them.
Every day she went among them. Certain of the women--chiefly those who
had suffered most with least fault--were as warmly her friends as
before. Amongst them was just one who had some experience of the
Christian life, and she had begun to learn long before Hester came to
know her: she did not seem, however, to have gained any influence even
with those who lived in the same house; only who can trace the slow
working of leaven?
CHAPTER XXVII.
RENCONTRES.
There was no news of Cornelius. In vain the detective to whom the major
had made liberal promises continued his inquiries. There was a rumour of
a young woman in whose company he had lately been seen, but she too had
disappeared from public sight.
Sarah did her best to make Hester comfortable, and behaved the better
that she was humbled by the consciousness of having made a bad job of
her caretaking with Cornelius.
One afternoon--it had rained, but the sun was now shining, and Hester's
heart felt lighter as she took deep breaths of the clean-washed air--she
turned into a passage to visit the wife of a book-binder who had been
long laid up with rheumatism so severe as to render him quite unable to
work.
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