ite, as women have a foolish habit of doing when sudden danger
daunts them; for Robert released my arm, sat down upon the bedside just
in front of me, and said, with the ominous quietude that made me cold
to see and hear,--

"Don't yer be frightened, Ma'am: don't try to run away, fer the door's
locked an' the key in my pocket; don't yer cry out, fer yer'd have to
scream a long while, with my hand on yer mouth, before yer was heard.
Be still, an' I'll tell yer what I'm goin' to do."

"Lord help us! he has taken the fever in some sudden, violent way, and
is out of his head. I must humor him till some one comes"; in
pursuance of which swift determination, I tried to say, quite
composedly,--

"I will be still and hear you; but open the window. Why did you shut
it?"

"I'm sorry I can't do it, Ma'am; but yer'd jump out, or call, if I did,
an' I'm not ready yet. I shut it to make yer sleep, an' heat would do
it quicker'n anything else I could do."

The captain moved, and feebly muttered, "Water!" Instinctively I rose
to give it to him, but the heavy hand came down upon my shoulder, and
in the same decided tone Robert said,-=

"The water went with the physic; let him call."

"Do let me go to him! he'll die without care!"

"I mean he shall;--don't yer interfere, if yer please, Ma'am."

In spite of his quiet tone and respectful manner, I saw murder in his
eyes, and turned faint with fear; yet the fear excited me, and, hardly
knowing what I did, I seized the hands that had seized me, crying,--

"No, no, you shall not kill him! it is base to hurt a helpless man.
Why do you hate him? He is not your master?"

"He's my brother."

I felt that answer from head to foot, and seemed to fathom what was
coming, with a prescience vague, but unmistakable. One appeal was left
to me, and I made it.

"Robert, tell me what it means? Do not commit a crime and make me
accessory to it--There is a better way of righting wrong than by
violence;--let me help you find it."

My voice trembled as I spoke, and I heard the frightened flutter of my
heart; so did he, and if any little act of mine had ever won affection
or respect from him, the memory of it served me then. He looked down,
and seemed to put some question to himself; whatever it was, the answer
was in my favor, for when his eyes rose again, they were gloomy, but
not desperate.

"I will tell you, Ma'am; but mind, this makes no difference; the boy is
mine. I'll give the Lor