Year: 1879

his improvement, which continued to be
marked and rapid. At the expiration ofsome
weeks, he wrote me word that his patients
mind was restored to its normal condition,
but that his bodily health was not quite as
good as it had formerly been, and that it was
his opinion that / had better 60 for him and
bring him home, as this would be the most ben.
e6cial change could afford him. I felt that it
was my duty to comply with this request. l
was on the point of breaking the news to you
and con6ding to you the secret which l had
so carefully kept, when was summoned away
on business, and resolved to postpone, until
my return, the confession which / was still in-
describably reluctant to make.


II wrote to DR.. Warner that in a fortnight's
time l would 60 for my brother; and took
leave of you, little dreaming Of the terrible
consequences which my foolish reticence was
to bring on US both.


"On the day which I had appointed, re-
turned home. Imagine my sensations when
found that you had disappeared! But l can
not dwell upon the recollection now; must
hurry over it as quickly as possible. LEARN
ed from one of the servants that my brother
had suddenly made his appearance, had an
nounced that he intended to stay with me for
few days, and desired that supper and
bed should be prepared for him; that after
giving these directions, he had been seen 60
ing across the lawn toward the shrubbery /;
and an hour or two later, when Cesar went
to call both you and him in to supper, neith-
of you could be found. DR.. Warner, to whom
I instantly wrote, replied, enclosing letter
purporting to be from myself, in which l told
him that business Of Importance kept me
from coming for my brother, but that if he was
quite restored he had better permit him to
90 home at once, where he would find warm
welcome. Acting upon this he had let him
go, and presumed of course that be was by
this time safe with me. When he left him,
he said he was perfectly collected, in fact as
sane as be had ever been in his life, and he
felt no anxiety about trusting him. This
letter was forgery, no doubt witten by Mau-
rice himself, in his inpatience to be Set free.
My hand was so well initiated that even /,
upon hasty persual, could scarcely have re-
cognized that it was another's."


"And then," said Rachel in whisper, as
her husband paused, "and then, Murrell, you
had that terrible thought about me. What
could ever have made you think such q
thing?"


"It was the most wretched piece Of folly,
of madness, that I could have been guilty
Of" he replied. "But, oh if you could i'm.
agine how distracted my brain was-how
nearly crazy I was driven, by the catastrophe
of losing you, and in that mysterious way, you
would almost pardon me for daring to enter.
tain the terrible suspicion that be had enticed
you off: suppose I .Oas crazy for the time.
It is the only excuse can offer for doing you,
my pure, loving, trusting darling, such wrong.
I could not trace either you or him. You had
both vanished as completely as though some
enchantment had been wrought upon you,
and this conspired to strengthen the fatal be-
lief that you were together; for I could not
believe you dead, though I tried sometimes,
for my comfort-such comfort yet so it was,
by comparison-to think so.


"At last, after months and years of wait
ing, and of ceaseless search, I learned that
you were at the Win6elds', and in destitute
circumstances, having mepial position in
their household. My feelings, on learning
that you were reduced to such condition,
were indescribable. was ready to curse the
betraying hand which had, as I imagined,
wrought this final evil upon you"


"And you sent me money" said Rachel.
Il could not entirely get rid of the idea that
it might be you"


81 loved you so intensely still, Rachel, not
witbstanding the faults Of which my folly
accused you, that it was soothing to me to be,
even in a small way, instrumental to your
comfort. In having you thus secretly watch
ed over and provided for, felt as though you
were not entirely cut off from me, and the
feeling was a sort of consolation. In the
meantime I had heard of the appearance, in
one of the German cities, Of person whom
imagined to be Maurice, and had gone over
to Europe for the purpose of more effectually
assisting in tracing him out. I haunted pub.
lie resorts and places of amusement, follow.
ing the imaginary clue had received, which
led me to the spot where I got tidings of you,
and where the first link was made in the
chain of events which finally brought US to-
gether. Little could imagine, when I shot
that wild young Philipson for his attempt to
rob me, that through this means would be
led to return to seek you, by having my
doubts awakened, from what his mother told
me, of the wisdom or justice of the conduct
I had pursued The account ofyour poverty
and secluded life in Drowsieville, your mel
ancholy air and habits, and finally of your
sudden departure, incident upon the appear
ance of my brother, whom easily recognized
from description, began to work in me a
strange hope that might all along have been
laboring under delusion though the whole
affair remained mystery, only to be fully
explained when chance, or rather kind
Providence, brought DR.. Snow and myself in
contact"


Here a sudden movement from Maurice,
who had continued hitherto perfectly still, in
terrupted his recital and brought both ofthem
quickly to the bedside. The sick mans eyes