hen
his foot was on the very threshold of happiness, and by the hand of a
brother?

Hugh, in the mean time, had turned up Felix from the prone posture in
which he lay, with a hope--a frenzied, a desperate hope of ascertaining
whether or not life was extinct. In this position the stricken boy was
lying, his brother, like a maniac, standing over him, when Maura and
the servants arrived. One glance, a shudder, then a long ghastly gaze at
Hugh, and she sank down beside the insensible victim of his fury.

"What," said Hugh, wildly clenching his hands, "Mother of glory, have
I killed both? Oh, Felix, Felix! you are happy, you are happy, agra,
brother; but for me, oh, for me, my hour of mercy is past an' gone. I
can never look to heaven more! How can I live," he muttered furiously
to himself, "how can I live? and I daren't die. O God! O God! my brain's
turnin'. I needn't pray to God to curse the hand that struck you dead,
Felix dear, for I feel this minute that His curse is on me."

Felix was borne in, but no arm would Hugh suffer to encircle him but
his own. Poor Maura recovered and although in a state of absolute
distraction, yet she had presence of mind to remember that they ought
to use every means in their power to restore the boy to life if it were
possible. Water was got, with which his face was sprinkled; in a little
time he breathed, opened his eyes, looked mournfully about him, and
asked what had happened him. Never was pardon to the malefactor, nor the
firm tread of land to the shipwrecked mariner, so welcome as the dawn of
returning life in Felix was to his brother. The moment he saw the poor
youth's eyes fixed upon him, and heard his voice, he threw himself on
his knees at the bedside, clasped him in his arms, and with an impetuous
tide of sensations, in which were blended joy, grief, burning affection,
and remorse, he kissed his lips, strained him to his bosom, and wept
with such agony, that poor Felix was compelled to console him.

"Oh! Felix, Felix," exclaimed Hugh "what was it I did to you? or how
could the devil out of hell tempt me to--to--to--oh! Felix agra, say
you're not hurted--say only that you'll be as well as ever, an I take
God and every one present to witness, that from this minute till the day
of my death, a harsh word 'll never crass my lips to you. Say you're not
hurted, Felix dear! Don't you know, Felix, in spite of my dark-temper's
putting me into a passion with you sometimes, that I always