s to
soothe her.

"Oh! it is horrible--too horrible!" cried the almost fainting girl.
"What can--what must be done! Either way, misery--disgrace! Lord,
forgive me! But my head is turned. That you should be here! That you
should be in this strait! Why was it not me? I--I have deserved all
and more! prison, death, everything is not too bad for me; but you, my
dear, dear boy!"

"Mary, what is the reason of this? I cannot understand. Are matters
worse than they were before?" said Joey. "And why should you talk in
such a way about yourself? If you ever did wrong, you were driven to it
by the conduct of others; but your reformation is all your own."

"Ah, Joey!" replied Mary; "I should think little of my repentance if I
held myself absolved by a few years' good conduct. No, no; a whole life
of repentance is not sufficient for me; I must live on, ever repenting,
and must die full of penitence, and imploring for pardon. But why do I
talk of myself?"

"What has made you thus, Mary?"

"Joey, I cannot keep it a secret from you; it is useless to attempt it.
I have discovered your father and mother!"

"Where are they? and do they know anything of my position?"

"Yes; your mother does, but not your father."

"Tell me all, Mary, and tell me quickly."

"Your father and mother are Mr and Mrs Austin."

Joey's utterance failed him from astonishment; he stared at Mary, but he
could not utter a word. Mary again wept; and Joey for some minutes
remained by her side in silence.

"Come, Mary," said Joey at last, "you can now tell me everything."

Joey sat down by her side, and Mary then communicated what had passed
between herself and Mrs Austin; her acknowledgement that he was her
relation; the interest she took in him; the money she had lavished; her
sufferings, which she had witnessed; and then she wound up with the
conversation between her and Mr Trevor.

"You see, my dear boy, there is no doubt of the fact. I believe I did
promise Mrs Austin to say nothing to you about it; but I forgot my
promise all just this minute. Now, Joey, what is to be done?"

"Tell me something about my father, Mary," said Joey; "I wish to know
how he is estimated, and how he behaves in his new position."

Mary told him all she knew, which was not a great deal; he was
respected; but he was a strange man, kept himself very much aloof from
others and preferred seclusion.

"Mary," said Joey, "you know what were my intentions before;