s indeed a bitter cup to drink!" exclaimed
Mrs Austin. "May God, in His mercy, look down upon you, and console
you!"

"He will, mother: and when far away--not before, not until you can
safely do so, promise me to go to Emma, and tell her that I was not
guilty. I can bear anything but that she should despise me."

"I will, my child, I will; and I will love her dearly for your sake.
Now go on with your history, my dear boy."

We must leave our hero and his mother in conversation, and return to
McShane and O'Donahue, who, as soon as they had breakfasted, repaired to
the lodgings of Mr Trevor.

McShane, who was spokesman, soon entered upon the business which brought
them there.

Mr Trevor stated to him the pertinacity of our hero, and the
impossibility of saving him from condemnation, remarking, at the same
time, that there was a mystery which he could not fathom.

McShane took upon himself to explain that mystery, having, as we have
before observed, already been sufficiently clear-sighted to fathom it;
and referred to O'Donahue to corroborate his opinion of the elder
Rushbrook's character.

"And this father of his is totally lost sight of; you say?" observed Mr
Trevor.

"Altogether: I have never been able to trace him," replied McShane.

"I was observing to his sister--" said Mr Trevor.

"He has no sister," interrupted McShane.

"Still there is a young woman--and a very sweet young woman, too--who
came to me in London, to engage me for his defence, who represented
herself as his sister."

"That is strange," rejoined McShane, musing.

"But, however," continued Mr Trevor, "as I was about to say, I was
observing to this young woman how strange it was, that the first time I
was legally employed for the name of Rushbrook, it should be a case
which, in the opinion of the world, should produce the highest
gratification, and that in the second in one which has ended in misery."

"How do you mean?" inquired McShane.

"I put a person of the name of Rushbrook in possession of a large
fortune. I asked our young friend's sister whether he could be any
relation; but she said no."

"Young Rushbrook had no sister, I am sure," interrupted McShane.

"I now recollect," continued Mr Trevor, "that this person who came into
the fortune stated that he had formerly held a commission in the army."

"Then, depend on it, it's Rushbrook himself, who has given himself
brevet rank," replied McShane. "Where is he now?"

"Dow