which his
god, as before, would take the reins and drive him on, ever in the same
direction.

At last the crisis of the disease came and passed, and John Webster
began slowly to recover. And it was now that he formed a somewhat true
estimate of the marketable value of his daughter Annie, inasmuch as he
came at length to the conclusion that she was priceless, and that he
would not agree to sell her for any sum that could be named!

During this period of convalescence, Annie's patience, gentleness, and
powers of endurance were severely tried, and not found wanting. The
result was that the conscience of the invalid began to awake and smite
him; then his heart began to melt, and, ere long, became knit to that of
his child, while she sought to relieve his pains and cheer his spirits
she chatted, played, sang, and read to him. Among other books she read
the Bible. At first Mr Webster objected to this, on the ground that he
did not care for it; but, seeing that Annie was much pained by his
refusal, he consented to permit her to read a few verses to him daily.
He always listened to them with his eyes shut, but never by look or
comment gave the least sign that they made any impression on him.

During the whole period of Mr Webster's illness and convalescence,
Captain Harry Boyns found it convenient to have much business to
transact in Liverpool, and he was extremely regular in his calls to
inquire after the health of his late employer. This was very kind of
him, considering the way in which he had been treated! Sometimes on
these visits he saw Annie, sometimes he saw Mrs Niven--according as the
one or other chanced to be on duty at the time; but, although he was
never permitted to do more than exchange a few sentences with either of
them, the most careless observer could have told, on each occasion,
which he had seen, for he always left the door with a lengthened face
and slow step when he had seen Mrs Niven: but ran down the steps with a
flushed countenance and sparkling eyes when he had met with Annie!

At last Mr Webster was so much restored that his doctor gave him leave
to pay a short visit to his counting-room in the city.

How strangely Mr Webster felt, after his long absence, when he entered
once more the temple of his god, and sat down in his old chair.
Everything looked so familiar, yet so strange! There were, indeed, the
old objects, but not the old arrangements, for advantage had been taken
of his absenc