re. I meant to ask you to go with me to the jail, and Mr.
Leigh has kindly offered to join us."

"You have quite decided, then, to let everybody know?"

"I _had_ quite decided; and now, even if I still wished to keep the
secret, it is too late."

"Why?"

"I have already told Mr. Leigh and his son; and besides that, Mr.
Bellairs and Mrs. Elton must both have wondered why I should be more
excited by what we heard to-day than anybody else."

"That is true; but, from what you have told me, I had begun to doubt
whether you need acknowledge your relationship. It seems by no means
certain now that to do so would be of much benefit to Christian."

"It would give me the right to be with him constantly. We have made up
our minds, both Lucia and I, as to what we are to do. Don't, please, try
to alter our plans."

"I hesitate," he answered, "only because you have already suffered so
much, and I fear the excitement for you."

"All the excitement possible on that subject is over. You will see that
I shall take what has to come yet quietly enough. And I am certain that
you will not tell me that a wife is excusable if she neglects a dying
husband."

"Assuredly not. You will be glad to have Mr. Leigh with you?"

"For some things, yes. Yesterday I thought that there was no one whose
presence could have been such a comfort to me; for, except himself, our
greatest friends here are, as you know, the nearest connections of Dr.
Morton; so that till this confession, which has done so much for us, I
could not have asked for sympathy or help from them."

"No; but now they would give it readily enough if they knew. What do you
think of going first to Mrs. Bellairs, or asking her to come to you? It
seems to me that, if that were not the most comfortable thing for you,
it would be for Lucia."

Lucia looked eagerly at her mother.

"Yes, mamma," she said; "let me go into Cacouna in the morning, and ask
her to come and see you. Do tell her first, and let her tell Bella."

Mrs. Costello understood how her child caught at the idea of being
relieved from the sense of deceit which had lately weighed upon her
whenever she was in the company of her two friends. The idea, too, of
telling her secret to the kindly ear of a woman rather than to men, was
an improvement on her own purpose. She assented, therefore, thankfully.

"Only," she said, "there is no need for you to go. I will write a note
to Mrs. Bellairs, and I think she will come to us