who had gone for Mrs. Clarkson arrived, with the poor
woman half stunned by the shock of his news, and the two gentlemen left
husband and wife together.

Later Mr. Bayne came back to his post in the more natural and congenial
character of a Christian priest; but Clarkson was not a man to whom a
deathbed repentance could be possible. The one human sentiment of his
nature--a half-instinctive love of wife and children--was the only one
that seemed to influence him at the last, and from the moment of his
confession he spoke little except of them. Gradually his consciousness
began to fail, and he spoke no more. Two hours later the doctor and Mr.
Bayne quitted the house together. All was over. Clarkson's turbulent
life had ended quietly, and all that was left of him was the body, over
which a faithful woman wept.

When Mr. Bayne returned to Cacouna he went straight to Mr. Bellairs and
told him the truth; not many minutes after, Mr. Bellairs hurried to the
jail. He felt anxious that he himself, the nearest connection of Dr.
Morton, should be the first to make what reparation was possible to the
innocent man who had already suffered so much. He did not know how grave
Christian's illness had become, and he thought the hope of speedy
liberation would be the best possible medicine to him. But when he saw
Elton and asked for admission to the prisoner, he heard with dismay that
the discovery had come too late, and that his plan was impracticable.
Elton did not hesitate in the least about letting him enter the room.

"Half the town might go in and out," he said, "and he would take no
notice of them, but I do not know about telling him of a sudden.
Perhaps, sir, you'd ask Mrs. Costello?"

"Mrs. Costello! Why? Is she here?"

"Yes, sir; and she seems to be to know more about him than even my wife
who nursed him what she could, ever since he's been ill."

"It might be as well to consult her, then; could you ask her to speak to
me?"

"Well, sir, if you like to go up into the room; it's a large one, and
you may talk what you please at the further side; he'll never hear."

Accordingly they went up. Mrs. Costello was sitting beside her husband,
and had been talking to him. He had been for a short time quite aroused
to interest in what she said, but very little fatigued him, and they
were both silent when the door softly opened to admit the unexpected
visitor. Mrs. Costello rose with a strange spasm at her heart. She
foresaw news, bu