he, 'what can I do for you? What can I get for you?'

"''Deed it's no much that she wants now in this world; I'm thinking
we'll lose her soon,' said mother.

"'No, no,' says Harry eagerly. 'Let me feel your pulse, Bessie,' says
he. Mother forgot about his being a doctor, and did not like his going
about in such a skilful way; but I was so roused and excited myself
that my pulse was at the gallop. 'Quick, but strong,' says he; 'not the
least like death. Cheer up, Bessie,' said he, 'it's just a bad turn
you've got--a chill, perhaps, but you'll very soon get over it. You
ought to know that you're safe against fever at the present time.'

"'It's on her mind,' said mother. 'It's her mind as is so disturbed.
She eats nothing, and she sleeps none for coughing, and takes such
spasms at the heart. I know she'll never get better, and she thinks
just the same; and for my part I'd rather have laid her head in the
grave than let her live to be such a disgrace to us all. To think of
such a thing happening to a daughter of mine, and all through you.'

"'Well, Mrs. Ormistown, it is a pity, but it was quite as much her
doing as mine, and maybe a little more,' says he, looking at me with a
half-laugh; but I only sighed and groaned, and would not speak to him.

"'I'm sure, Bessie, when we were in Paris,' says he, 'you did not take
it much to heart; and I'll do what I can to make you comfortable.'

"'Don't mock us with talking about comfort,' said mother, sternly. 'If
Bessie did not feel her sin and her shame when she was in that sink of
iniquity with you, I trust I have been able to convince her of her
position since she returned to me.'

"'Indeed, Harry,' says I, 'morning, noon, and night, mother is
preaching to me, and I really wish I was dead, to have a little quiet.'

"'Tut, tut,' says he, 'if you were really ill, you would not speak so
briskly about dying;' and he tried to soothe me down, but I kept very
sulky--but yet when he went away he did not believe there was much the
matter with me.

"'We must make you really ill,' says my mother, when he was gone; so
she got some stuff for me to take, and I swallowed it, and I really did
think as I was dying. I never felt as bad before or since, and even
mother was frightened that she had made it too strong, but she sent for
Harry, and he was frightened too. She said that I had poisoned myself,
and was going to die with the scorn of every one.

"'Oh, if you would but acknowledge yo