u would sacrifice her?"

"If I would sacrifice my own, do you think I'd be apt to spare her?" he
asked with a groan, for in fact his illness had rather increased.

"Are you not better?" inquired the stranger, moved by a feeling of
humanity which nothing could eradicate out of his noble and generous
nature. "Allow me to send a doctor to you? I shall do so at my own
expense."

Anthony looked upon him with more complacency, but replied,

"The blackguard knaves, no; they only rob you first and kill you
afterwards. A highway-robber's before them; for he kills you first, and
afther that you can't feel the pain of being robbed. Well, I can't talk
much to you now. My head's beginnin' to get troublesome; but I'll tell
you what you'll do. I'll call for that young man, Fenton, and you
must let him come with me to the wedding to-morrow mornin'. Indeed, I
intended to take a car, and drive over to ask it as a favor from you."

"To what purpose should he go, even if he were able? but he is too ill."

"Hasn't he been out in a chaise?"

"He has; but as he is incapable of bearing any agitation or excitement,
his presence there might cause his death."

"No, sir, it will not; I knew him to be worse, and he recovered; he will
be better, I tell you: besides, if you wish me to sarve you in one way,
you must sarve me in this."

"But can you prevent the marriage?"

"What I can do, or what I cannot do, a team of horses won't drag out o'
me, until the time--the hour--comes--then! Will you allow the young man
to come, sir?"

"But his mother, you say, will be there, and a scene between them would
be not only distressing to all parties, and out of place, but might be
dangerous to him."

"It's because his mother's to be there, maybe, that I want him to be
there. Don't I tell you that I want to--but no, I'll keep my own mind to
myself--only sink or swim without me, unless you allow him to come."

"Well, then, if he be sufficiently strong to go, I shall not prevent
him, upon the condition that you will exercise the mysterious influence
which you seem in possession of for the purpose of breaking up the
marriage."

"I won't promise to do any such thing," replied Anthony. "You must only
make the best of a bad bargain, by lavin' everything to myself. Go away
now, sir, if you plaise; my head's not right, and I want to keep it
clear for to-morrow."

The stranger saw that he was as inscrutable as ever, and consequently
left him, half in ind