Basil

self and its operations the poorest objects of that external world around us, which is perishable. In the ravelled skein, the slightest threads are the hard

we really discern what trifles in the outer world our noblest mental pleasures, or our severest mental pains, have made

e, more homeless, then, than the poorest wretch who passed me on the pavement, and had wife or kindr

y to the house. There was the noisy street corner, void of all adornment in itself, but once bright to me with the fairy-land architecture of a dream, because I knew that at that place I had passed over half the distance which separated my home from hers. Farther on, the Park trees came in sight-trees that no autumn decay or winter nakedness could make dreary, in the bygone time; for she and I had walked under them together. And further yet

e confidence in my endurance, the sustaining calmness under my father's sentence of exclusion, which nerved me to go on. I must inevitably see Mr. Sherwin (perhaps even suffer the humiliation of seeing her!)-must inevitably speak such words, disclose such truths, as should show him that deceit was henceforth useless. I must do t

ht, to which I dared not for a moment turn. The still, pale face which I had seen lying hushed on my father's breast-CL

n. She was receiving a letter from a man, very poorly dressed, who walked away the moment I approached. Her confusion and surprise were

that name!)-"Miss Margaret is upst

ee her: I want to sp

as I entered, that she had shown me, in her confusion, into the wrong room. Mr. Sherwin, who was in the apartment, hastily

his restless eyes wandered unsteadily,

let's step into the drawing-room: the fa

side. I had not said a word. Something in my look and ma

you looking at me like that for? Stop! Let's say our say in the ot

said his daughter was upstairs; remembering this, and suspecting every action or word that came from

tle wider, "it's only across the hall, you know;

to follow you from room to room, just as you like. What I have to say is not

y it again-incivility; and rudeness too, if you like it better." He saw I was determined, and closed the door as he

bound! You don't seem to hurry yourself much about speaking, so I shall sit down. You can do as you please. Now then! just let's cut it

en me two lette

good care you should get

either grossly deceived; and, in t

do you mean by that? Nob

tell you that deceit is henceforth useless. I know all-more than y

u? Damn your infernal coolness and your aristocratic airs and graces! You shall see I'll be even with you-you shall. Ha! ha! look here!-here's the marriage certificate safe in my po

n trembled a little, and a slight rustling noise was audible behind it, just a

my father has heard all from my lips. He has renounc

taring at me with a face o

ain, a beggar who looks me in the face, and talks as you do. I don't care a damn about you or your father! I know my rights; I'm an Englishman, thank God! I know my rights, an

; his rage produced no other sensation in me. All higher and quicker emoti

Come! we'll have this out before we do anything else. She says she's innocent, and I say she's innocent: and if I could find out that damnation scoundrel Mannion, and get him here

f language by which you are now endeavouring to support them. I told you before, and I now tell you again, I know all. I had been inside that house, before I saw your daughter at the door; and had heard, from her vo

her! Do you think I wouldn't sooner believe her, than believe you? Do you think I'll stand this? Here she is up-stairs, half heart-broken, on my hands; here's my wife"-(his voice sank suddenly as he said this)-"with her mind in such a state that I'm kept away from business, day after day, to look after her; here's all this crying and misery and mad goings-on in my hou

lieve

pronounced those wor

pity in the past time? the same wan figure of sickness and sorrow, ever watching in the background of the fatal love-sce

with premature infirmity, was now straightened convulsively to its proper height; her arms hung close at her side, like the arms of a corpse; the natural paleness of her face had turned to an earthy hue; its natural expression, so meek, so patient, so melancholy

he stopped opposite to me. His tones were altered

e he is. He came in while you were asleep, I rather think; and I let him stop, so that if you woke up and wanted to see him, you might. You can't say-nobody can say-I haven't given in to you

which the light of life was darkening fast, turned on him, even his gross nature felt the s

the same soft, low voice as ever. It was fearful to hear how

have been used to say my prayers, and think I had said them for the last time, before I dared shut my eyes in the darkness and the quiet. I have lived on till to-day, very weary of my life ever since that night when Marga

e deathly blank of expression. The eye had ceased

uth. Now, when the light of this world is fading from my eyes; here, in this earthly home of much sorrow and suffering, which I must soon quit-in the presence of my husband-under the s

was spoken, her husband had been looking sullenly and suspiciously towards us, as we stoo

ontinued, still addressing me; but now speaking very slowly a

ved always in fear of others, and doubt of myself; and this has made me guilty of a great sin towards you. Forgive me before I die! I suspected the guilt that was preparing-I foreboded the shame that was to come-they hid it from others' eyes; but, from the first, they could not hide it from mine-and yet I never warned you as I ought! That man had the power of Satan over me! I always shuddered before him, as I used to shudder at t

nt, breathless murmurings. She struggled

ss against the innocence of my own child. My own child! I dare not bid God ble

her cold lips. The tears gushed into

you if she was alive-Basil! pray that I may be forgiven in the dreadful Eternity to whic

sture the irrevocable farewell. But her strength failed her even for this-failed her with awful suddenness. Her hand moved halfway towards mine; then stopped, and trembled for a mo

is countenance was crossed, in an instant, by an expression of triumphant malignity. He whispered to me: "If you don't change y

gain tenderly to the old look of patience and sadness which I remembered so well. Was my imagination misleading me? or had the light of that meek spirit

afterwards,

viour was noticed as very altered and unaccountable by every one. He sulkily refused to believe that her life was in danger; he roughly accused anybody who spoke of her death, as wanting to fix on him the imputation of having ill-used her, and so being the cause of her illness; and more than this, he angrily vindicated himself to every one about her-even to the serva

er speech never wandered in the slightest degree. Her husband quitted her room more fretfully uneasy, more sullenly suspicious of the words and looks of those about him than ever-went instantly to seek his daughter-and sent her in alone to her mother's bedside. In a few minutes, she hurriedly came out again, pale,

into insensibility: her life was just not death, and that was all. She lingered on in this quiet way, with her eyes peacefully closed, and her breathing so gentle as to be quite inaudible, until late in the evening. Just as it grew quite dark, and the candle was lit in the sick room, the se

North Villa. More remains to be recorded, b

the room, until I had steadied my mind sufficiently to go out again into the streets. As I walked down the garden-path to the gat

e been doing wrong, Sir," she sobbed out, "and at this dreadful time too, wh

o compose herself; and the

etter with me, Sir," she continued, "just whe

I sa

an came with a letter, and gave me money to let nobody see it but Miss Margaret-and that time, Sir, he waited; and she sent me with an answer to give him, in the same sec

?-tell me c

each other, and that something's happened wrong between you lately; and so, Sir, it seems to be very bad and dishonest in me (after first helping you to come together, as I

as freely and as t

seem to care about anything that happens; and sometimes she looks so at me, when I'm waiting on her, that I'm almost afraid to be in the same room with her. I've never heard her mention your name once, Sir; and I'

er. I hesitated bef

dying in the house. I can't keep secrets, Sir, that may be bad secrets, at such a dreadful time as this; I couldn't have laid down in my bed to-night, when there's lik

d girl held out the letter to me once more. This t

ar to me. Was it possible that I had ever seen them before? I tried to consider; but my memory was confused, my m

le about it, Su

e it up-stairs, Sir

hare on my part, Susan, in what she-in what

that, Sir; very, very sorry. But

at the lett

same effect on me as before, ending too with ju

person to remove or to justify them. Why should

eve he'd kill me!" She hesitated, then continued more composedly; "Well, at any rate I've told you, Sir, and that's made my mind

to the house with the letter in her hand. If I had guessed at that moment w

ery strange; but that unknown handwriting still occupied my thoughts: that wretched trifle abs

lost recollection flashed back on me so vividly that I started almost in terror. The handwriting shown me by the servant at North Villa, was the same as the handwriting o

ling fingers, and looked through the crampe

ROBERT M