orney appeared uneasy, and watched her with a solicitude such as
attorneys seldom manifest in their clients, especially if the pockets of
the latter be empty.

"I will go immediately!" exclaimed Emily, as she finished reading the
letter. "Mr. Faxon says my Uncle Jaspar is quite a different man, and is
ready to restore all my rights."

"Finally," said De Guy, "here is your uncle's own signature. This letter
I wrote by his dictation, but he, with much difficulty, signed his
name."

Emily perused the paper, which was a promise that Jaspar would restore
all, and concluded with an earnest request for her to return to Bellevue
with all possible haste. Emily recognized the signature, though it was
apparently written by the trembling hand of a dying man.

"The papers are quite satisfactory," said Dr. Vaudelier, as he completed
the reading of the note from Jaspar. "If you had presented them at
first, I should have been spared my uncourteous suspicions. But you will
pardon them, and consider that the lady's case requires the utmost
caution."

"It was only in deference to the lady's nerves that I broke the
intelligence gradually. I was quite willing to sacrifice myself, for the
moment, in your good opinion, for her sake. I trust you will appreciate
and regard my motives, as I do yours."

Henry Carroll, as may be supposed, was much against the plan of Emily's
returning to Bellevue with De Guy. But a death-bed scene was a difficult
thing to reason against, and he was obliged to yield the point before
the earnest eloquence of Emily, and more calm persuasions of Dr.
Vaudelier.

It was arranged that Hatchie should accompany her, and that the party
should take the morning boat from Vicksburg.

Hatchie was immediately summoned to receive instructions in relation to
their departure.

At the mention of Hatchie's name, the attorney grew marvellously uneasy,
and suddenly recollected that the negro who had conveyed him to the
island was waiting for him. He therefore proposed that Dr. Vaudelier
should escort Emily to Vicksburg in the morning, which was readily
agreed to, and De Guy made a precipitate retreat, without confronting
the mulatto.

CHAPTER XXIII.

"_Jaffier_. O, Belvidera!
_Belvidera_. Why was I last night delivered to a villain?
_Jaffier_. Ha! a villain?
_Belvidera_. Yes, to a villain!"

OTWAY.

Agreeably to the arrangement of the previous night, Emily was on board
of the "Montez