."

"Exactly so; but as soon as she feels herself at liberty--"

"Yes," said Tom, breathless.

"Why, then she'll send, I presume, and let you know."

"I see, then, I may hope."

"Why, not exactly--but there will be no occasion to take laudanum."

"Not a drop, my dear fellow, depend upon it."

"There is no saying what may come to pass, you see, Tom: two, or three,
or four years may--"

"Four years--that's a very long time."

"Nothing to a man sincerely in love."

"No, nothing--that's very true."

"So all you have to do is to follow up your profession quietly and
steadily, and wait and see what time may bring forth."

"So I will--I'll wait twenty years, if that's all."

I wished Tom good-by, thinking that it was probable that he would wait a
great deal longer; but at all events, he was pacified and contented for
the time, and there would be no great harm done, even if he did continue
to make the widow the object of his passion for a year or two longer. It
would keep him out of mischief, and away from Anny Whistle.

On my return home I met with a severe shock, in consequence of
information which my mother did not scruple to communicate to me.
Perhaps it was all for the best, as it broke the last link of an unhappy
attachment. She informed me very abruptly that the shutters of Mr.
Wilson's house were closed in consequence of his having received
intelligence of the death of Lady ----. Poor Janet had expired in her
first confinement, and the mother and child were to be consigned to the
same tomb. This intelligence drove me to my chamber, and I may be
considered weak, but I shed many tears for her untimely end. I did not
go with my sister to Mrs. St. Felix, but remained alone till the next
day, when Virginia came, and persuaded me to walk with her to the
hospital, as she had a message for my father.

After we had seen my father we walked down to the hospital terrace, by
the riverside. We had been there but a few minutes when we heard Bill
Harness strike up with his fiddle:

Oh, cruel was my parents as tore my love from me, And cruel was the
press-gang as took him off to sea; And cruel was the little boat as
row'd him from the strand, But crueler the big ship as sail'd him from
the land. Sing tura-la, tura-la, tura-lara ley.

Oh, cruel was the water as bore my love from Mary, And cruel was the
fair wind as wouldn't blow contrary; And cruel was the captain, his
boatswain, and his men, As didn't care a fardin