ne; shall never feel myself the poorer for it by a sixpence. I
cannot bear that these things should be spoken of between us. You know
how often I have begged you to let me help you in the past, and how
wounded I have been by your refusal."

"Yes, when we were friends, before I had ever wronged you. If I had taken
your help then, I should hardly have felt the obligation. But, stay, I am
not such a pauper as I seem. My wife will have money; at least you told
me that the old man was rich."

"Yes, your wife will have money, plenty of money. You have no need to
trouble yourself about financial matters. You have only to consider what
the doctor has said. Your recovery depends almost entirely upon your
tranquillity of mind. If you want to get well speedily, you must remember
this."

"I do want to get well. I am in a fever to get well; I want to see my
wife. But my recovery will be evidently a tedious affair. I cannot wait
to see her till I am strong enough to travel. Why should she not come to
me here? She can--she must come. Write to her, Gilbert; tell her how I
languish for her presence; tell her how ill I have been."

"Yes; I will write by and by."

"By and by! Your tone tells me that you do not mean what you say. There
is something you are keeping from me. O, my God, what was that happened
before I was ill? My wife was missing. I was hunting for her without rest
for nearly a week; and then they told me she was drowned, that there was
no hope of finding her. Was that real, Gilbert? or only a part of my
delirium? Speak to me, for pity's sake. Was it real?"

"Yes, John; your perplexity and trouble were real, but unnecessary; your
wife is safe."

"Safe? Where?"

"She is with her father."

"She did not even know that her father was living."

"No, not till very lately. He has come home from America, it seems, and
Marian is now under his protection."

"What! she could desert me without a word of warning--without the
faintest hint of her intention--to go to a father of whom she knew
nothing, or nothing that was not eminently to his discredit!"

"There may have been some strong influence brought to bear to induce her
to take such a step."

"What influence?"

"Do not worry yourself about that now; make all haste to get well, and
then it will be easy for you to win her back."

"Yes; only place me face to face with her, and I do not think there would
be much question as to that. But that she should forsake me of her