e if you
waste your time on poor dying wretches--"

"Thurnall, you must not talk so! I will do all you ask: but my place is
at the death-bed, as well as elsewhere. These perishing souls are in my
care."

"And how do you know, pray, that they are perishing?" answered Tom, with
something very like a sneer. "And if they were, do you honestly believe
that any talk of yours can change in five minutes a character which has
been forming for years, or prevent a man's going where he ought to go,--
which, I suppose, is the place to which he deserves to go?"

"I do," said Frank, firmly.

"Well. It is a charitable and hopeful creed. My great dread was, lest
you should kill the poor wretches before their time, by adding to the
fear of cholera the fear of hell. I caught the Methodist parson at that
work an hour ago, took him by the shoulders and shot him out into the
street. But, my dear Headley" (and Tom lowered his voice to a whisper),
"wherever poor Tom Beer deserved to go to, he is gone to it already. He
has been dead this twenty minutes."

"Tom Beer dead? One of the finest fellows in the town! And I never sent
for?"

"Don't speak so loud, or they will hear you. I had no time to send for
you; and if I had, I should not have sent, for he was past attending to
you from the first. He brought it with him, I suppose, from C----. Had
had warnings for a week, and neglected them. Now listen to me: that man
was but two hours ill; as sharp a case as I ever saw, even in the West
Indies. You must summon up all your good sense, and play the man for a
fortnight; for it's coming on the poor souls like hell!" said Tom
between his teeth, and stamped his foot upon the ground. Frank had never
seen him show so much feeling; he fancied he could see tears glistening
in his eyes.

"I will, so help me God!" said Frank.

Tom held out his hand, and grasped Frank's.

"I know you will. You're all right at heart. Only mind three things:
don't frighten them; don't tire yourself; don't go about on an empty
stomach; and then we can face the worst like men. And now go in, and say
nothing to these people. If they take a panic we shall have some of them
down to-night as sure as fate. Go in, keep quiet, persuade them to bolt
anywhere on earth by daylight to-morrow. Then go home, eat a good
supper, and come across to me; and if I'm out, I'll leave word where."

Frank went back again; he found Campbell, who had had his cue from Tom,
urging immediate remo