atrix Pendleton sat down by her side and took her hand. Lyon Berners
hung over the back of her chair. The little Skye terrier, who had
followed the party, jumped upon her lap and coiled itself up there.
Sybil noticed no one, but sat curiously contemplating the tips of her
gloved fingers.

Meanwhile the sheriff and the warden went off to a writing desk that
stood in one corner of the office, and where the sheriff formally
delivered up his charge into the keeping of the warden.

"You will find some decent place to put her in, I hope, Martin. You will
extend to her every indulgence consistent with her safe custody," said
the sheriff, when the business was concluded.

The old warden scratched his gray head, reflected for a minute, and then
said:

"The cells is miserable, which I have represented the same to their
worships time and again, to no purpose. But if you'll take the
responsibility, and back me up into doing of it, I can lock her up in my
daughter's bedroom, where she will be safe enough for one night; and
to-morrow we can have a cell fixed up, if her friends will go to the
expense."

"Certainly, do all that; and if you should be as kind and considerate of
her as may be consistent with your duty, her friends will be sure to
reward you handsomely," answered Mr. Fortescue.

"Well, I'd do that any way, I think, for any poor woman in such a depth
of trouble, reward or no reward," replied the kind-hearted warden.

The two men then went up to the young prisoner.

"I will take you up to your room now, ma'am, if you please," said the
warden.

This aroused Sybil. She looked up suddenly and said:

"I am afraid we are putting you to much inconvenience Mr.--Mr.--"

"Martin," added the sheriff.

"--Mr. Martin; but the suddenness of this thunder-storm, you know. And
we were all at church, and--"

She lost the connection of her ideas, ceased to speak, put her hand to
her forehead in perplexity for a moment, and then relapsed into
apathetic reverie.

"Good gracious!" exclaimed the old warden, in dismay. "Why, she's a
losing of her mind, an't she?"

"Yes, thank Heaven!" answered Sybil's husband earnestly.

"But--but--in such a case they will never carry the sentence out?"
inquired the warden, in an eager whisper.

"Yes, they will; but she will never know what hurts her," grimly replied
Captain Pendleton.

The old warden sighed. And then he warned the visitors that it was time
for them to go, as he wanted to l