ange to say, it did not seem to have travelled far, it
being quite clean and fresh!

The fact was that Captain Boyns was a considerate man. He had gone into
a public-house, not ten yards distant from his own dwelling, to pen this
letter, fearing that the shock would be too much for his wife if not
broken gradually to her. But his impatience was great. He delivered
the letter at his own door, and stood behind it just long enough, as he
thought, to give her plenty of time to read it, and then burst in upon
her just as she was recovering somewhat of her wonted self-possession.

Over the scene that followed we drop the curtain, and return to Mr
Webster, who is once again seated in the old chair in the old office,
gazing contemplatively at the portrait of his deceased wife's father.

CHAPTER EIGHT.

CONCLUSION.

There are times in the lives, probably, of all men, when the conscience
awakes and induces a spirit of self-accusation and repentance. Such a
time had arrived in the experience of Mr John Webster. He had obtained
a glimpse of himself in his true colours, and the sight had filled him
with dismay. He thought, as he sat in the old chair in the old office,
of the wasted life that was behind him, and the little of life that lay,
perchance, before. His right hand, from long habit, fumbled with the
coin in his trousers-pocket. Taking out a sovereign he laid it on the
desk, and gazed at it for some time in silence.

"For your sake," he murmured, "I have all but sold myself, body and
soul. For the love of you I have undermined my health, neglected my
child, ruined the fortunes of hundreds of men and women, and committed
m--"

He could not bring himself to say the word, but he could not help
thinking it, and the thought filled him with horror. The memory of that
dread hour when he expected every instant to be whelmed in the raging
sea rushed upon him vividly. He passed from that to the period of his
sickness, when he used to fancy he was struggling fiercely in the
seething brine with drowning men--men whom he had brought to that pass,
and who strove revengefully to drag him down along with them. He
clasped his hands over his eyes as if he thought to shut out those
dreadful memories, and groaned in spirit. Despair would have seized
upon the gold-lover at that time, had not his guardian angel risen
before his agonised mind. Annie's soft tones recurred to him. He
thought of the words she had spoken to h