Evila  ran  off  to  the  store,  and  bought  for  the  child  a
warm  winter  jacket,  a  cap,  and  boots ;  still,  she  could
not,  even  with  these  stupendous  purchases,  spend  half
of  the  money.  What  she  had  left  she  determined  to  re-
turn to  the  gentleman.
Now  it  was  full  time  to  go  to  church.  Her  friends
wondered  to  see  her  come  in  alone.  They  asked  her
where  was  Peter?  Evila  answered  she  had  not  seen
him  that  day.  It  went  against  her  conscience  to  tell  a
lie  before  mass,  but  then,  when  one  is  placed  in  a  situ-
ation that  one  must  lie,  what  can  be  done  ?  A  woman
or  a  girl  who  has  been  beaten  by  her  betrothed  or  her
husband  must  deny  it.  God  pardons  the  lie,  and  society
demands  it.
Peter  Saffran  was  nowhere  to  be  seen  in  the  church.
Evila  felt  terribly  ashamed  when  the  clergyman  from  the
pulpit  gave  out  for  the  third  time  the  banns  of  her  mar-
riage. And  there  would  be  no  marriage  !  Tears  came
into  her  eyes  and  sorrow  filled  her  heart  at  the  thought
that  she  was  leaving  her  home,  her  bridegroom,  her
friends,  all  the  places  she  knew,  the  things  she  was  ac-
customed to,  and  was  going  out  into  the  world  alone.
These  thoughts  preyed  upon  her  all  day,  until  she  was
obliged  to  go  out  and  look  for  Peter  Saffran.  She  sus-
pected where  she  would  find  him.
