, 1859-01-15
from "A House to Let."l
THE MANCHESTER MARRIAGE,
BIZ CHAY. DICKENS


sNOr0h ~ at length he asked.
"Who are you :" asked Norab, with the
sharp tones Of alarm aud incredu1ity. III
don't know you :" trying, by futile words Of
disbelief. to do way NTH tue terrible fact be-
fore her.
sam 80 changed ~ he said pathetically.
II dare say am. But, Norah, tell mel" be
brcathed where. :" where is my wife," Il
she-is she .lire?"
He came nearer to Norah, and would have
taken her hand but she backed away from
him looking at him all til . time with staring
eyes, as if he we're some horrible object. Yet
be was handsome, bronZed, good-looking
fellow, with beard and mustache, giving him
foreign looking aspect, but his eyes! there
was no mistaking those eager, beautiful eyes
the very same that N0rah had watched not
half an hour ago, till sleep stole softly over
them.
"Tcll me, Norah-I can bear i'll have
feared it 60 often. Is she dead ~ Norah
still kept silence. tSha is dead !" lie hung
On Norah's words and looks as if for coni1ma-
tion or contradiction.
"What sdal1 I do :" groancd Norah. ''Oh,
Sir! Thy did you come ? how did you find nc
out where hare you been : We thought
you dead, we did, indeed ~ Sue poured out
words and questions to gain time, Us if time
would 1elp her.
.*Norah answer me this question straight
By yes or no-Is my vie dead ~
tNo, she is not u said Norah, slowly and
heavily.
"Oh, what relief! Did she receive nv
did you leave her? Where is size? Oh, No
rah, tell me oil quickly! :"
s.Mr. Frank!' said Eorah, at last, almost
| driven TO bay by her terror lest her mistress
should return at any moment and find him
there-unallc to consider what was best to
be..done or said-1usbing at something dcci'
sire, because Ehe could not endure her pres
ent state "Mr. Frank We never heard q
line from you, and the shipowners said you
had gone down, you and every one else. III
| thoug you we're deal, If ever man was, and
poor Miss Alice and her little sick, helpless
child? Oh, Sir, you must guess it. cried the
| poor creature at last, bursting ont into j paa
| sionate Gt Of crying, 'stor indeed canuot tell
it. But it wa1 no ones fault God help IL
all this niehtr'
Norah bad sat dvwn. She trembled toe
much to stand. He took her hands IN his
He squeezed them hard, as if by physica
pressure the truth could bs wrung ont.
| @Norah!7 This time bis tone WIS calm
Etaenaut III despair. "she has married
again!"
Norab shock her head sadly The grasI
slowly relaxed. The man had tainted.
There vas brandy in the room. Moral
forced some drop. into Mr. Franks mouth
chafed his hauds, and-when mere animal lii
returned, before the mind poured in its foo,
of memories and thoughts-she lifted him u
aud rested bis head against her knees. Thel
she put few crumbs Of bread, taken from
the supper table, soaked ia brandy, into hi
mouth. Suddenly Ae sprang to his feat.
"Whcre Is shc2 Tell me this Instant" II
looked so wild, SO mad, 70 desperate, tbs
Norah felt herself to be in bodily danger
but her time If dread had gone by. She la
been afraid to tell him the truth, uud tie
sue had been q coward. Now, her nit
we're slarpened by the sense Of bis desperat
state. He must leave the house. She woul
pity him attcrward ; but now she must rathe
command and upbraid for be must leave th
house before her mistress came home. Tia
Que scccssity stood clear before her.
"She is not here: that il enough for 20
to know. Nor can say exactly where sh
Isl (which Was true 10 the letter ifnot to tn
| spirlt). Go away, ard tell inc where
! find you tomorrow, and will tell you al
Ny master and mistress may come back :
any minute, and then what would bccsme
| LII hitu y 6k1AA5C AAaA IL tAAI AAA@S.
{ Such an argument was to petty to touc
his excited mind.
II don't care for your master and mistres
! IT your master is q man he must feel for me-
] poor shipwrecked sailor thatI am-kept f
years priioner among savages, always, a
ways, always, thinking Of my wife aud u
1 homo-dreaming OF her by night, talking
her, though she could not hear, by day.
loved her more than all heaven and ear
put together Tell me where she is, this i
ltant, you wretched woman, who salyed or
her wickedncss to her, a. you do to me-
The clock struck ten. Desperate positio
require desperate meaiures.
III you leave the house now will come
you tomorrow and tell you all. What
more you shall zee your child now, She Ii
sleeping up stairs. Oh, Sir, you have Chi
you do not know that as yet-a little wea
II girl, with Just heart and soul beyond b
years. We Anve reared her up with such c.
We watched her, for We thought for many
year she might die any day, and NC tend
her. and no rough word has ever been Eaid
her. And now you come und will take
life into your hand and will crush it. Str:
gers to her hare been kind to her ;but /
own tather--Mr. Frank, I am her nurse, q
love her, and tend her, and would
any thing for her that could. Her mothe
heart beats as her beats I; and il she suffer:
pain her mother t1embles all over. II she
happy, 1t is her mother that smiles aud
Glad. If she is growing stronger, her mot
ID healthy il she dwindles, her mother l
culshcs. II she dies-wel], don't know
IS not every one can lie down aud die Il
they wish it. Come up stairs, Ar. Fra
I, and see your child. Seeing her will do 81
to your poor heart. Then 60 away, in Ge
nufnc, Just this one night-to.morrow,
need be, you can do my thing kill us al
you will, or show. yourself great, gr'
| mau. whom God will bless forever and c'
= Come, Mr. Frank, the look Of 4 sleeping cl
is sure to give peace"
She led him up stairs at first almost b
= ing his steps, til! they came near the nurs
s. door. She had almost forgotten the el
: ence of little Edwin. It stuck upon
u with alright as the shades light fell upon
y other cot but she skilliully threw that
pre- ner of the room into darkness, and let
:oa :;s1a light fall On the sleeping Ailaie. The c
had thrown down the coverings and her
|" fornlty as she lay with her back to them,
= plainly visible through her slight night 8
Her little face, deprived Of the luss1e Of
eyes, looked wan and pinched, and had
H- II