, and, hiding his face in his hands, sobbed
bitterly. He was indeed a pitiable object as he lay back on his ragged
bed, partly propped up with pillows, his head bound round with a cloth,
his left eye half closed, and one arm lying powerless by his side.

"William," he said, when he could manage to get the words out, "I don't
deserve this, kindness from you of all men in the world; it cuts me to
the heart, it does, for sure. I think I heard the parson say once, when
he were preaching in the open-air at the market-cross one summer's
evening, summat about heaping coals of fire on a man's head as has
wronged you, by returning him good for evil. I'm sure, William, you've
been and heaped a whole scuttleful of big coals on my head, and they're
red-hot every one on 'em."

"Well, well," said Foster, much touched by this confession, "it will be
all right, Ned, as far as I'm concerned, and I hope you'll soon be
better.--I've come to learn," he added in an undertone, and with strong
emotion, "my own need of forgiveness for all I've done against my
Saviour in days gone by, and it would be strange and wrong indeed if I
couldn't heartily forgive a fellow-sinner."

"The Lord bless you for that word," said the other; "and let me tell
you, William, bad as I've been agen you and poor Jim Barnes, I've never
liked this job; and as for that Sharples, I knew as he was the meanest
rascal to treat you as he did, and I only wish as I'd had the sense and
courage to keep out of the business altogether."

"Well, you've learnt a lesson, Ned; and if it should please God to bring
you round, you must keep clear of the old set."

"You may depend upon that, William," said the sick man; "I've had enough
and to spare of them and their ways.--I'll tell you how it all began,
William, and who it was as set the thing a-going."

"Nay, Ned," interposed Foster hastily, "I don't want to know; I'd rather
not know. I can guess pretty well, though I saw none of their faces
distinctly. They don't want any punishment from me if I wished to give
it them, for they're getting it hot and strong from all sides already;
and as for Sharples, poor wretched man, he's got caught in his own trap
as neatly as if he'd set it on purpose to catch himself."

"Just as you please, William; I'm sure it's very good of you to take it
as you do."

"No, Ned, don't say so; there's no goodness anywhere in the matter,
except in that merciful God who so wonderfully watched over and