Year: 1871

sorro" as this was beyond the reach of
doctors stuff His heart,wAs broken.
Lie had an illness of two months or
more; a slow, sure sickness that never
huctuated, but day by day certainly
dragged him nearer to the grave. Ho
knew that he was dying, but he never
mentioned his son. It was bis bitterest
reflection to feel that the gamblers cal.
culation had been lucky, and that his
death would shamefuly en,ich lin.


Magdalen hardly ever left him. No,l,-
ing could exceed the devotion, the ten
dernoss, with which she Dursed him
If love could have saved him he had
not died while she had been with him !
She had the rare power of embellishing
a sick-room making it rather a beau
tlful cradle Of weakness than the ante.
chamber to the grim tomb: that power
which comes only by a woman's love.
The friends who camo to see them re.
marked IN that exquisite order and the
melancholy beauty she had given and
many Ct them said that Miss TreveIyan
had changed her fathers sick. bed into
a throne. The old man appreciated her
now for the first time. He had nevor
loved her as he had loved his son in.
deed, he never loved her much at all
She had been born after that terrible
night-'-"hich no one but himself and
his God knew of-when his wife's
dreamy lips, Franccsca-]ike, muttered
the secret kept tor so many painful
years, and told him that she had neve,
loved him. Msgdalen had always seem.
ed to him to be the ratification of his
despair, as Andrew mad been tho full
hlment of his hope and it was only
now, tor the first time in life, that be
acknowledged he had been unjust. The
poor girl had felt the difference made
between them both, but she believed II
arose from some fault in herself. She
knew there was but little virtue in
Andrew. Now she had taken her true
position in her fathers love, and had
become really dear to HIM. Before, ho
had been coldly proud of Ter beauty,
and he had respected her character ;
but he had never loved her. Since his
illness 1t was different. He was only
happy when she was sitting at the foot
OF the bed where he could see her.
only easy when she was in the room
aud before his eyes. Once che heard
him say, "Bllpd blind !" and "Aveng.
ed J" while looking at his sons por-
trait, hanging against the wall Just
above her head, as she stood by the
table. Blind yes, as too many Of US
are blind, both in our loves and our
Interpretations.


AT last he died. He had been sink.
ing rapidly for some time, but still his
death was sudden at tho very last
Magdalen was alone with him. She had
given him his medicine, and had jus,
shaken up his pillows and smoothed the
coverlid, when she saw his countenan &C
change. She went closer to him and
asked him if be wanted anything; she
thought he was feeling faiot, ferha;:s
His lip slightly moved, bat she heard
no sound issue from it; hi, eyes grew
iScd and that terrible film came owe,
them she raised his head, again he
slightly smiled "a sigh and then she
was alone.


Andrew did Eot know of bis fathers
illness. More than once Magda|en had
entreated her father to allow her to
write to him, but he used to answer
"No, my love, not yet-not till l give
you leave," in tone and manner 50
DISTINCT and positive, that she felt moth
ing more was to be said. And in his
state OF weakness she was careful to be
obedient to the utmost, fearing that he
should think her undutiful because he
was unable to be authoritative. So the
old man had sickened and died ia
peace; and Magdalen was not sorr7
that his death.bed had been undisturb
ed by the mockery of her brothers pre-
ten led love. But when she was left
alone she wrote hastily to Andrew, tel
ling him what had happened, saying
that her father would not allow her t
write to him to inform him Of his i'll
ness, but that now he was the head o.
the family, and must take everything
on himself; begging him at the end O.
her letter to come down Immediately
and manage all as he liked, Andrew
gave long whistle "What - be said
"gone SO soon! That little jade III
she had only told me he was i'll, l could
have got ten per cent. more. I'll pay
her out for this Well see who will be
master and who mistress, when I've gol
things into my own hands However,
can't 60 down tonight, so they may
muddlo away by themselves as they
like"


The reason why be could not go down
that night was, that he had made up a
whist-party with cards so cleverly mark
ed that no one could detect them; and
as he expected to clear nearly a hun
dred pounds by this coup, he was not
disposed to lose such a good chance be-
cause his father was lying dead at home,
and his sister did not like to be alone.


He wrote, however, a few lines ex-
pressing bis surprise at the news not a
word of or;af. ha had inn. naoaa nou 70