ind. Worthless as I believe him
to have been, this man had entirely gained her affections. She has not
risen from her bed since he died.

"Sometimes she is absolutely silent for hours, at others she talks
incessantly; and painful as it is to tell you so, her first impression
that you were responsible for his death is the one which still remains
fixed on her mind. She is wholly incapable of reason or of argument. At
times she appears sane and sensible enough and talks of other matters
coherently; but the moment she touches on this topic she becomes excited
and vehement. It has been a great comfort to me, and I am sure it will
be to you, that your old servant Abijah has returned and taken up the
position of housekeeper.

"As soon as your mother's first excitement passed away I asked her if
she would like this, and she eagerly assented. The woman was in the
town, having come over on the morning after you gave yourself up, and
to my great relief she at once consented to take up her former position.
This is a great thing for your sister, who is, of course, entirely in
her charge, as your mother is not in a condition to attend to anything.
I was afraid at first that she would not remain, so indignant was she at
your mother's believing your guilt; but when I assured her that the poor
lady was not responsible for what she said, and that her mind was in
fact unhinged altogether by the calamity, she overcame her feelings;
but it is comic to see her struggling between her indignation at your
mother's irresponsible talk and her consciousness that it is necessary
to abstain from exciting her by contradiction."

Dr. Green had spoken as lightly as he could, but he knew how painful it
must be to Ned to hear of his mother's conviction of his guilt, and how
much it would add to the trials of his position.

Ned himself had listened in silence. He sighed heavily when the doctor
had finished.

"Abijah will be a great comfort," he said quietly, "a wonderful comfort;
but as to my poor mother, it will of course be a trial. Still, no wonder
that, when she heard me say those words when I went out, she thinks that
I did it. However, I suppose that it is part of my punishment."

"Have you thought anything of your future plans, Ned?" Mr. Porson asked
after they had driven in silence for some distance.

"Yes, I have been thinking a good deal," Ned replied, "all the time
I was shut up and had nothing else to do. I did not believe that they
wo