\"Thatsoundslikeabittergibe，\"saidHilda，withthetearsspringingintohereyes。\"ButIcannothelpit。Itdoesnotaltermyperceptionofthetruth。Iftherebeanysuchdreadfulmixtureofgoodandevilasyouaffirm，——andwhichappearstomealmostmoreshockingthanpureevil，——thenthegoodisturnedtopoison，nottheeviltowholesomeness。\"
Thesculptorseemeddisposedtosaysomethingmore，butyieldedtothegentlesteadfastnesswithwhichHildadeclinedtolisten。Shegrewverysad；forareferencetothisonedismaltopichadset，asitwere，aprisondoorajar，andallowedathrongoftorturingrecollectionstoescapefromtheirdungeonsintothepureairandwhiteradianceofhersoul。ShebadeKenyonabrieferfarewellthanordinary，andwenthomewardtohertower。
Inspiteofhereffortstowithdrawthemtoothersubjects，herthoughtsdweltuponMiriam；and，ashadnotheretoforehappened，theybroughtwiththemapainfuldoubtwhetherawronghadnotbeencommittedonHilda\'spart，towardsthefriendoncesobeloved。
SomethingthatMiriamhadsaid，intheirfinalconversation，recurredtohermemory，andseemednowtodeservemoreweightthanHildahadassignedtoit，inherhorroratthecrimejustperpetrated。Itwasnotthatthedeedlookedlesswickedandterribleintheretrospect；
butsheaskedherselfwhethertherewerenototherquestionstobeconsidered，asidefromthatsingleoneofMiriam\'sguiltorinnocence；