I might have committed suicide; I might even have drifted
back into my old life--but for one man."
At those last words her voice--quiet and even through the earlier
part of her sad story--began to falter once more. She stopped,
following silently the memories and associations roused in her by
what she had just said. Had she forgotten the presence of another
person in the room? Grace's curiosity left Grace no resource but
to say a word on her side.
"Who was the man?" she asked. "How did he befriend you?"
"Befriend me? He doesn't even know that such a person as I am is
in existence."
That strange answer, naturally enough, only strengthened the
anxiety of Grace to hear more. "You said just now--" she began.
"I said just now that he saved me. He did save me; you shall hear
how. One Sunday our regular clergyman at the Refuge was not able
to officiate. His place was taken by a stranger, quite a young
man. The matron told us the stranger's name was Julian Gray. I
sat in the back row of seats, under the shadow of the gallery,
where I could see him without his seeing me. His text was from
the words, 'Joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that
repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which
need no repentance.
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