hed and excited by exercise.

"I thought I'd come myself and ask after him," said Dunn, as he
explained the object of his visit.

"He has scarce consciousness enough to thank you," said she, mournfully,
"but _I_ am very grateful to you;" and she preceded him into the room,
where her father sat in the selfsame attitude as before.

"He doesn't know me," whispered Dunn, as the sick man's gaze was turned
to him without the slightest sign of recognition,--"he does n't know
me!"

"I do. I know you well, Davenport Dunn, and I know why you come here,"
said Kellett, with a distinctness that startled them both. "Leave us
alone together, Bella darling; we want to talk privately."

Sybella was so astounded at this sudden show of intelligence that she
scarcely knew how to take it, or what to do; but at a gesture from Dunn,
she stepped noiselessly from the room, and left them together.

"You must not excite yourself, Kellett, nor prejudice your prospect
of recovery by any exertion; there will be time enough for matters of
business hereafter--"

"No, there won't; that's the reason I want to talk to you now," said
Kellett, sharply. "I know well enough my life is short here."

[Illustration: 284]

Dunn began some phrase of cheering meaning; but the other stopped him
abruptly, and said,--

"There, there, don't be losing time that way. Is that the touch of a man
long for this world?" and he laid on the other's hand his own hot and
burning fingers. "I said I knew why you came here, Dunn," continued he,
more strongly; "it was to look at your work. Ay, just so. It was _you_
brought me to this, and you wanted to see it. Turn your eyes round the
room, and you 'll see it's poor enough. Look in at that bedroom there,
and you 'll say it could n't be much more humble! I pawned my watch
yesterday; there's all that's out of it;" and he showed some pieces of
silver and copper mixed together in the palm of his hand; "there's not a
silver spoon left, so that you see you 've done it well!"

"My dear Kellett, these words of yours have no meaning in them--"

"Maybe not; but maybe you understand them, for all that! Look here, now,
Dunn," said he, clutching his hand in his own feverish grasp; "what the
Child begins the Man finishes! I know you well, and I 've watched you
for many a year. All your plans and schemes never deceived _me_; but
it's a house of cards you 're building, after all! What I knew about you
as a boy others may know as a man