e I sometimes fail. But wherever there is a
possibility of cure I rarely fail. I am not proud of this gift; on the
contrary, it has subdued my heart into a sense of piety and gratitude to
God, who, in his mercy, has been pleased to make me the instrument of so
much good to my fellow-creatures."

Mr Lindsay returned home to his family in high spirits, and on his way
to the house observed his stepson Woodward and Barney Casey at the door
of the dog-kennel.

"I maintain the dog is wrong," said Woodward, "and to me it seems an
incipient case of hydrophobia."

"And to me," replied Barney, "it appears that his complaint is hunger,
and that you have simply deprived him of his necessary food."

At this moment Mr. Lindsay approached them, and exclaimed,--

"Harry, let your honest and affectionate heart cheer up. Valentine
Greatrakes will be here to-morrow, and will cure Charles, as he cured
Alice Goodwin, and then we will have them married; for if he recovers
I am determined on it, and will abide no opposition from any quarter.
Indeed, Harry, your mother is now willing that they should be married,
and is sorry that she ever opposed it. Your mother, thank God, is a
changed woman, and thank God the change is one that makes my very heart
rejoice."

"God be praised," exclaimed Barney, "that is good news, and makes my
heart rejoice nearly as much as yours."

"Father," said Woodward, "you have taken a heavy load off my mind.
Charles is certainly very ill, and until Greatrakes comes I shall make
it a point to watch and nurse-tend him myself."

"It is just what I would expect from your kind and affectionate heart,
Harry," replied Lindsay, rather slowly though, who then passed into
the house to communicate the gratifying intelligence to his wife and
daughter.

The intensity of Woodward's malignity and villany was such that, as we
have mentioned before, on some occasions he forgot himself into such
a state of mind, and, what was worse, into such an expression of
countenance, as, especially to Barney Casey, who so deeply suspected
him, challenged observation. After Lindsay had gone he put his hand to
his chin, and said, still with caution,--

"Yes, poor fellow, I will watch him myself this night; for if he
happened to die before Greatrakes comes to-morrow, what an affliction
would it not be to the family, and especially to myself, who love him so
well. Yes, in order to sustain and support him, I will watch him and act
as his n