him at last, and left the
room: she remembered afterward that his face was like that of a dead man
when he addressed her.

She returned to the kitchen. The two men were seated where she had left
them, and were conversing together: their strong Irish accent told at
once their country. Mrs. Carson paid no attention to them; she neither
spoke to them nor looked at them; she held tightly clasped in her hand
the few gold coins her son had given her; she walked about like one half
distracted, addressing audible thanksgiving to God one instant, and the
next felicitating herself in an insane manner on having at last obtained
some money. The two men commented on her strange manners, and agreed
that she was mad, stating their opinions aloud to each other, but she
did not hear them.

The noise and quarreling on the street continued for some time, and the
men manifested no impatience while it lasted. All became quiet after a
time; the desertion and silence of night seemed at last to have settled
down on the street. The two men then manifested a strong wish to finish
the business on which they had come.

"I say, whereabouts is it--where's the snatch, my good woman?" said one
of the men, addressing Mrs. Carson.

She looked on him and his companion with amazement mingled with
something of fear, for the aspects of both were expressive of low
ruffianism.

"She's mad, don't you see," said the one who had not addressed her.

The other cursed deeply, saying that as they had given part payment,
they would get their errand, or their money back again.

At this, a gleam of recollection crossed Mrs. Carson's mind, and she
informed them that her son had mentioned about something they had
purchased, which was in his room. She thought at the instant, that
perhaps he had disposed of one of his manuscripts at last, though she
wondered at the appearance of the purchasers of such an article.

"That's it," cried the men; "show us the way to the room fast; it's all
quiet now."

Anxious to get rid of the men, Mrs. Carson proceeded hastily to her
son's room, followed closely by the men. The first object she saw, on
opening the door, was Andrew, leaning on his desk; the little desk stood
on the table, and Andrew's head and breast were lying on it, as if he
was asleep. There was something in his fixed attitude which struck an
unpleasant feeling to his mother's heart.

"Andrew!" she said; "Andrew, the men are here."

All was silent. No murmur