in the
evenings. Most of her friends lived in Melbourne, and she reckoned to
stay there for the rest of her life.

As to father, they had never heard a word from him--hardly knew whether
he was dead or alive. There was some kind of report that Warrigal
had been seen making towards Nulla Mountain, looking very weak and
miserable, on a knocked-up horse; but they did not know whether it was
true or false.

Poor Aileen stopped till we were all locked up for the night. She seemed
as if she couldn't bear to leave me. She had no more hope or tie in
life, she said. I was the only one of her people she was likely to see
again, and this was the last time--the last time.

'Oh, Dick! oh, my poor lost brother,' she said, 'how clearly I seem to
see all things now. Why could we not do so before? I have had my sinful
worldly dream of happiness, and death has ended it. When I heard of his
death and Jim's my heart turned to stone. All the strength I have shall
be given to religion from this out. I can ease my heart and mortify the
flesh for the good of my soul. To God--to the Holy Virgin--who hears
the sorrows of such as me, I can pray day and night for their souls'
welfare--for mine, for yours. And oh, Dick! think when that day, that
dreadful day, comes that Aileen is praying for you--will pray for you
till her own miserable life ends. And now good-bye; we shall meet on
this earth no more. Pray--say that you will pray--pray now that we may
meet in heaven.'

She half drew me to my knees. She knelt down herself on the cold stone
floor of the cell; and I--well--I seemed to remember the old days when
we were both children and used to kneel down by mother's bed, the three
of us, Aileen in the middle and one of us boys on each side. The old
time came back to me, and I cried like a child.

I wasn't ashamed of it; and when she stood up and said,
'Good-bye--good-bye, Dick,' I felt a sort of rushing of the blood to my
head, and all my wounds seemed as if they would break out again. I very
near fell down, what with one thing and another. I sat myself down on my
bed, and I hid my face in my hands. When I looked up she was gone.

. . . . .

After that, day after day went on and I scarcely kept count, until
somehow I found out it was the last week. They partly told me on the
Sunday. The parson--a good, straight, manly man he was--he had me told
for fear I should go too close up to it, and not have time to prepare.

Prepare! How