"You should have seen the look of surprise she gave me. But I had
been foolishly precipitate. Her mind had been wandering a little
before we came in. The shock seemed to throw it further off the
balance, for she suddenly looked at me with a calm sweet smile.

"`Yes,' she said, `he always called me Marie, though my name was Mary,
being a Frenchman, you know--his little Marie he called me! I often
think how pleased he will be to see another little Marie grown big
when we get him back--but oh! how long--how _long_ they are about
sending him, though I have sent the money over and over again. Hush!'

"She looked round with a terrified expression and clutched my shawl
with her thin hand. `You won't tell, will you?' she went on; `you
have a kind face, I am sure you will not tell, but I have been
saving--saving--saving, to send more money to the Moors. I keep it in
a bag here under my pillow, but I often fear that some one will
discover and steal it. Oh! these Moors must have hard, hard hearts to
keep him from me so long--so _very_ long!'

"Here she thrust me from her with unexpected violence, burst into a
wild laugh, and began in her delirium to rave against the Moors. Yet,
even in the midst of her reproaches, the poor thing prayed that God
would soften their hearts and forgive her for being so revengeful.

"Now, mother, I want to know what is to be done, for when we sent for
a doctor he said that not a word must be said about the return of her
husband until she is out of danger and restored to some degree of
health."

Thus far the middy read the letter.

"Mother," he said, firmly, "the doctor may say what he likes, but I am
convinced that the best cure for fever and every other disease under the
sun is joy--administered judiciously, in small or large doses as the
patient is able to bear it! Now, the primary cause of poor Marie's
illness is the loss of her husband, therefore the removal of the cause--
that is, the recovery of her husband--"

"With God's blessing," interjected Mrs Foster.

"Admitted--with the blessing of the Great Physician--that is the natural
cure."

"Very true, George, but you wisely spoke of small doses. I am not sure
that it would be safe to tell Monsieur Laronde that we have actually
found his wife and child. He also is too weak to bear much agitation."

"Not so weak as you think, mother, though the sufferings of slave-life
and subse