Mave had watched her countenance closely, and without being able to
discover the nature of the conflict that appeared in it, she went over,
and placing her hand gently upon Sarah's arm, exclaimed--

"Don't blame me for what I'm goin' to say, Sarah--if you'll let me call
you Sarah; but the truth is, I see that your mind is troubled. I wish to
God I could remove that trouble, or that any one here could! I am sure
they all would, as willingly as myself."

"She is troubled," said Mary; "I know by her manner that there's
something distressing on her mind. Any earthly thing that we could do to
relieve her we would; but I asked her, and she wouldn't tell me."

It is likely that Mary's kindness, and especially Mave's, so gently, but
so sincerely expressed, touched her as they spoke. She made no reply,
however, but approached Mave with a slight smile on her face, her lips
compressed, and her eyes, which were fixed and brilliant, floating in
something that looked like moisture, and which might as well have been
occasioned by the glow of anger as the impulse of a softer emotion, or
perhaps--and this might be nearer the truth--as a conflict between the
two states of feeling. For some moments she looked into Mave's very
eyes, and after a little, she seemed to regain her composure, and
sat down without speaking. There was a slight pause occasioned by the
expectation that she had been about to reply, during which Dalton's eyes
were fixed upon her. In her evident distress, she looked upon him. Their
eyes met, and the revelation that that glance of anguish, on the part of
Sarah, gave to him, disclosed the secret.

"Oh, my God!" he exclaimed, involuntarily and unconsciously, "is this
possible?"

Sarah felt that the discovery had been made by him at last; and seeing
that all their eyes were still upon her, she rose up, and approaching
Mave, said--

"It is true, Mave Sullivan, I am troubled--Mary, I am troubled;" and as
she uttered the words, a blush so deep and so beautiful spread itself
over her face and neck, that the very females present were, for the
moment, lost in admiration of her radiant youth and loveliness. Dalton's
eyes were still upon her, and after a little time, he said--

"Sarah, come to me."

She went to his bedside, and kneeling, bent her exquisite figure
over him; and as her dark brilliant eyes looked into his, he felt the
fragrance of her breath mingling with his own.

"What is it?" said she.

"You are to