the right faith,
an' may my blessin' an' His be wid you for ever! Amin."

There was a solemn and sustaining spirit in her words which strengthened
Bryan, who, besides, felt anxious to accomplish to the utmost extent the
affectionate purpose which had caused her to send for him.

"It's a hard task, mother darlin," he replied; "but I'll endeavor, with
God's help, to let them see that I haven't been your son for nothing;
but you don't know, mother, that Kathleen's here, an' Hanna. They wish
to see you, an' to get your blessin'."

"Bring them in," she replied, "an' let Dora come wid them, an' stay
yourself, Bryan, becaise I'm but weak, an' I don't wish that they should
stay too long. God sees its not for want of love for the other girls
that I don't bid you bring them in, but that I don't wish to see them
sufferin' too much sorrow; but my darlin' Dora will expect to be where
Kathleen is, an' my own eyes likes to look upon her, an' upon Kathleen,
too, Bryan, for I feel my heart bound to her as if she was one of
ourselves, as I hope she will be."

"Oh, bless her! bless her! mother," he said, with difficulty, "an' tell
her them words--say them to herself. I'll go now and bring them in."

He paused, however, for a minute or two, in order to compose his voice
and features, that he might not seem to set them an example of weakness,
after which he left the apartment with an appearance of greater
composure than he really felt.

In a few minutes the four returned: Bryan, with Kathleen's hand locked
in his, and Hanna, with her arm affectionately wreathed about Dora's
neck, as if the good-hearted girl felt anxious to cherish and comfort
her under the heavy calamity to which she was about to be exposed, for
Dora wept bitterly. Mrs. M'Mahon signed to Hanna to approach, who, with
her characteristic ardor of feeling, now burst into tears herself, and
stooping down kissed her and wept aloud, whilst Dora's grief also burst
out afresh.

The sick woman looked at Bryan, as if to solicit his interference, and
the look was immediately understood by Kathleen as well as by himself.

"This is very wrong of you, Hanna," said her sister; "out of affection
and pity to them, you ought to endeavor to act otherwise. They have
enough, an' to much, to feel, without your setting them example; and,
Dora dear, I thought you had more courage than you have. All this is
only grieving and disturbing your mother; an' I hope that, for her sake,
you'll bot