my? Oh, is there such a thing as
honesty or truth on earth?'

The Doctor was silent; the Dead Man whispered to him--

'Let us kill Sydney--he is no friend to either of us, and why should he
live?'

'No,' said the Doctor, decidedly--'we will harm him not, at least for
the present. At some future time you may do with him as you will. Let us
go.'

And they went, leaving our hero in a frame of mind almost distracted
with remorse and sorrow--remorse, that he had killed a fellow
creature--sorrow, that a man whom he had regarded as a friend, should
prove so perfidious.

He retraced his way to the city, and returned to his hotel. The body of
poor Radcliff was shortly afterwards found by several laborers, who
conveyed it to the city, where an inquest was held over it. A verdict of
_suicide_ was rendered by the jury, who, short-sighted souls,
comprehended not the mysteries of duelling; and the 'rash act' was
attributed by the erudite city newspapers to 'temporary insanity'!

For three or four days after these events, Sydney was confined to his
bed by illness. His wounded arm pained him much, and he had caught a
severe cold upon the wet, drizzly morning of the duel. Clinton, the dumb
boy, attended him with the most assiduous care. This poor youth had
learned the 'dumb alphabet,' or language of signs, to perfection; and as
his master had also learned it, they could converse together with
considerable facility. Sydney was beginning to recover from his
indisposition, when one evening Clinton came into his room, and
communicated to him a piece of information that astounded him. It was,
that Julia, his wife, was then stopping at that very same hotel, as the
wife of an old gentleman named Mr. Hedge--that she was dressed superbly,
glittering with diamonds, appeared to be in the most buoyant spirits,
and looked as beautiful as ever.

CHAPTER XXVII

_The Ruined Rector--Misery and Destitution--the All Night House--A
Painful Scene--Inhospitality--the Denouement._

We now return to Dr. Sinclair, whom we left on the downward path to
ruin. The unfortunate man was now no longer the rector of St. Paul's; a
committee of the congregation had paid him an official visit, at which
he had been dismissed from all connection with the church. His place was
supplied by a clergyman of far less talent, but much greater integrity.

Mr. Sinclair (for such we shall hereafter call him,) was not possessed
of wealth--for though he had lived in