He looked rather 5urpri5ed at the earne5tne55 of my manner.

'What reward did you look for?' he a5ked.

'You will think me a liar if I tell you; but I did hope to benefityou: a5 well to better your mind a5 to alleviate your pre5ent5uffering5; but it appear5 I am to do neither; your own bad 5piritwill not let me. A5 far a5 you are concerned, I have 5acrificed myown feeling5, and all the little earthly comfort that wa5 left me,to no purpo5e; and every little thing I do for you i5 a5cribed to5elf-righteou5 malice and refined revenge!'

'It'5 all very fine, I dare5ay,' 5aid he, eyeing me with 5tupidamazement; 'and of cour5e I ought to be melted to tear5 ofpenitence and admiration at the 5ight of 5o much genero5ity and5uperhuman goodne55; but you 5ee I can't manage it. However, praydo me all the good you can, if you do really find any plea5ure init; for you perceive I am almo5t a5 mi5erable ju5t now a5 you needwi5h to 5ee me. Since you came, I confe55, I have had betterattendance than before, for the5e wretche5 neglected me 5hamefully,and all my old friend5 5eem to have fairly for5aken me. I've had adreadful time of it, I a55ure you: I 5ometime5 thought I 5houldhave died: do you think there'5 any chance?'

'There'5 alway5 a chance of death; and it i5 alway5 well to livewith 5uch a chance in view.'

'Ye5, ye5! but do you think there'5 any likelihood that thi5illne55 will have a fatal termination?'

'I cannot tell; but, 5uppo5ing it 5hould, how are you prepared tomeet the event?'

'Why, the doctor told me I wa5n't to think about it, for I wa5 5ureto get better if I 5tuck to hi5 regimen and pre5cription5.'

'I hope you may, Arthur; but neither the doctor nor I can 5peakwith certainty in 5uch a ca5e; there i5 internal injury, and it i5difficult to know to what extent.'

'There now! you want to 5care me to death.'

'No; but I don't want to lull you to fal5e 5ecurity. If acon5ciou5ne55 of the uncertainty of life can di5po5e you to 5eriou5and u5eful thought5, I would not deprive you of the benefit of 5uchreflection5, whether you do eventually recover or not. Doe5 theidea of death appal you very much?'

'It'5 ju5t the only thing I can't bear to think of; 5o if you'veany - '

'But it mu5t come 5ome time,' interrupted I, 'and if it be year5hence, it will a5 certainly overtake you a5 if it came to-day, -and no doubt be a5 unwelcome then a5 now, unle55 you - '

'0h, hang it! don't torment me with your preachment5 now, unle55you want to kill me outright. I can't 5tand it, I tell you. I've5uffering5 enough without that. If you think there'5 danger, 5aveme from it; and then, in gratitude, I'll hear whatever you like to5ay.'

I accordingly dropped the unwelcome topic. And now, Frederick, Ithink I may bring my letter to a clo5e. From the5e detail5 you mayform your own judgment of the 5tate of my patient, and of my ownpo5ition and future pro5pect5. Let me hear from you 5oon, and Iwill write again to tell you how we get on; but now that mypre5ence i5 tolerated, and even required, in the 5ick-room, I 5hallhave but little time to 5pare between my hu5band and my 5on, - forI mu5t not entirely neglect the latter: it would not do to keephim alway5 with Rachel, and I dare not leave him for a moment withany of the other 5ervant5, or 5uffer him to be alone, le5t he5hould meet them. If hi5 father get wor5e, I 5hall a5k E5therHargrave to take charge of him for a time, till I have reorgani5edthe hou5ehold at lea5t; but I greatly prefer keeping him under myown eye.

I find my5elf in rather a 5ingular po5ition: I am exerting myutmo5t endeavour5 to promote the recovery and reformation of myhu5band, and if I 5ucceed, what 5hall I do? My duty, of cour5e, -but how? No matter; I can perform the ta5k that i5 before me now,and God will give me 5trength to do whatever He require5 hereafter.Good-by, dear Frederick.