angerously ill, poor fellow, so the doctor informs me,"
replied the general. "You can read the letter yourself. He seems to
complain of being surrounded by strangers, with no one in the house that
he can rely on. If I were not such an old cripple, I would go and help
him to the best of my ability; for although he has led a thoughtless,
reckless life, a more thorough-hearted gentleman does not live. Poor
Adolphe!"

"I must go to him, sir," said Walter, suddenly, after hastily reading
the letter, the perusal of which had driven all the color from his
cheeks.

"You! Why, it is not long since you left him; and what do you want to go
back for?" inquired the general, in surprise.

"Can you not guess, sir? I must go and nurse him. He must at least have
one person near him to pay him some attention."

"If you care for him so," exclaimed the general, "why did you leave his
service?"

This led Walter to explain to the old gentleman the reasons which had
compelled him to give up his situation, and again to beg permission to
act the part of nurse to his former master. A tear sparkled in the old
man's eye as the youth declared the attachment he had always cherished
for Mr. Lafond. "Go to him, then," said he. "I can not trust him to a
more faithful attendant; and as soon as I can I will follow you, and
take my place with you by his bedside. Poor Adolphe! Had he only
possessed firmness of character, and avoided bad company, he might have
been well and strong to-day. But his unhappy weakness has brought him to
the grave before his time, in spite of all my warnings, and entreaties.
As he has sowed, so must he reap. Ah, Walter, his fate is a terrible
proof of the consequences of evil habits. But all regrets are useless
now. Let us lose no time in giving what little help we can."

Making all the necessary preparations for the journey without a moment's
delay, Walter soon reached Paris. When he entered the chamber of Mr.
Lafond he was shocked at the change which a few short months had made in
his appearance. It was evident that the doctor had rather disguised than
exaggerated the danger he was in. The sunken eyes and withered face
showed only too plainly that the space of time allotted to him on earth
was but short. Walter sank on his knees by the bedside and taking the
pale and wasted hand in his, breathed a prayer that God might see fit to
deal mercifully with a life yet so young; while the invalid smiled
faintly, and stroked the