e man. "It wor a pity as the old man were
so werry 'ard. I wor young and I did it rare and clumsy; it wor to pay a
debt, a big, big debt. I 'ad put my 'and to a bit of paper widhout
knowing wot it meant, and I wor made to pay for it, and the notes they
seemed real 'andy. Well, well, I did it badly, I ha' larnt the right way
since from some prison pals. I would not be found out so easy now."

He spoke in an indifferent, drawling kind of voice, which expressed no
emotion whatever.

"You are very ill, I fear," said Charlotte, kneeling by his side.

"Ill! I'm dying, miss dear."

Charlotte had never seen death before. She noticed now the queer shade
of grey in the complexion, the short and labored breath. She felt
puzzled by these signs, for though she had never seen death, this
grayness, this shortness of breath, were scarcely unfamiliar.

"I'm dying," continued the man. "I don't much care; weren't it fur Hetty
there, I'd be rayther glad. I never 'ad a chance since the old master
sent me to prison. I'd ha' lived respectable enough ef the old master
'ad bin merciful that time. But once in prison, always in prison fur a
friendless chap like me. I never wanted to steal agen, but I jest 'ad
to, to keep the life in me. I could get no honest work hanywhere; then
at last I took cold, and it settled yere," pointing to his sunken chest,
"and I'm going off, sure as sure!"

"He ain't like to live another twenty-four hours, so the doctor do say,"
interrupted the wife.

"No, that's jest it. Yesterday a parson called. I used ter see the jail
chaplain, and I never could abide him, but this man, he did speak hup
and to the point. He said as it wor a hawful thing to die unforgiven. He
said it over and over, until I wor fain to ax him wot I could do to get
furgiven, fur he did say it wor an hawful thing to die without having
parding."

"Oh, it must be, it must be!" said Charlotte, suddenly clasping her
hands very tightly together.

"I axed him how I could get it from God h'Almighty, and he told me, to
tell him, the parson, first of all my whole story, and then he could
_adwise_ me; so I hup and telled him heverything, hall about that theft
as first tuk me to prison and ruined me, and how 'ard the old master
wor, and I telled him another thing too, for he 'ad sech a way, he
seemed to draw yer werry 'art out of you. Then he axed me ef I'd
furgiven the old master, and I said no, fur he wor real, real 'ard; then
he said so solemn-like