wish that I was, if such wish is not sinful."

"Mary, you must not add to my distress by talking in that manner; I want
your support and consolation now."

"You have a right to demand everything of me, madam," replied Mary, "and
I will do my best, I will indeed. I have often felt this before, and I
thank God for it; it will make me more humble."

The fever continued for many days, during which time Mr Austin was
attended solely by his wife and Mary; the latter had written to our
hero, stating the cause of her absence from him in so trying a period,
and she had received an answer, stating that he had received from very
good authority the information that he was not likely to leave the
country for some weeks, and requesting that Mary would remain with his
mother until his father's dangerous illness was decided one way or the
other he stated that he should be perfectly satisfied if he only saw her
once before his departure, to arrange with her relative to her affairs,
and to give her legal authority to act for him, previously to his
removal from the country. He told her that he had perceived an
advertisement in the London papers, evidently put in by his friends at
Portsmouth, offering a handsome reward to any one who could give any
account of him--and that he was fearful that some of those who were at
the trial would read it, and make known his position; he begged Mary to
write to him every day if possible, if it were only a few lines, and
sent his devoted love to his mother. Mary complied with all our hero's
requests, and every day a few lines were despatched; and it was now
ascertained by the other domestics, and by them made generally known,
that a daily correspondence was kept up with a prisoner in Exeter gaol,
which added still more mystery and interest to the state of Mr Austin.
Many were the calls and cards left at the Hall, and if we were to
inquire whether curiosity or condolence was the motive of those who went
there, we are afraid that the cause would, in most cases, have proved to
have been the former. Among others, O'Donahue and McShane did not fail
to send every day, waiting for the time when they could persuade Austin
to do justice to his own child.

The crisis, as predicted by the medical attendants, at last arrived, and
Mr Austin recovered his reason; but, at the same time, all hopes of his
again rising from his bed were given over. This intelligence was
communicated to his wife, who wept and wis