A Canadian Heroine, Volume 2

w that other friends would be with Bella, and was thankful to feel herself at liberty to stay at home-to be with her mother up to the moment of

about indifferent subjects by way of trying to lift for a moment the oppressive weight of thought which seemed almost to stupefy her. But the effort was to little purpose, and by the time they reached the door of the prison she was so excessively pale, and looked so faint and ill, that Mr. Strafford

versation which took place before they were admitted to the prisoner's cell, she could not afterwards remember anything cle

n them, was the prisoner. His face was hidden, but the coarse, disordered dress, the long hair, half grey, half black, lying loose and shaggy over his bony hands, the dreary broken-down expression of his attitude, made a picture not to be looked upon without pity. Yet the thing that seemed most pathetic of all was that utter change in the man which, even at the first glance, was so plainly evident. Th

said in a low and

from a doze. He raised his head, pushed

elp her to repress a shudder; but there

I am your wife. I am Mary, who le

n the same dull way, sca

his own language, he said with more energy, "She is hidden, but I

hich had pursued her for so long, but she would

nd comfort her husband. She is her

ly at her, but still with th

has bright eyes, and brown hair, soft and smooth like a bir

ford came

ten me, too, Chr

o him with somethi

yesterday. Tell the

let you go, that I am here now, and your-t

squaw know? S

the wife moved to a little distance from

ould tell me exactly what you were d

nd springing up, he rushed to the grated window, and seemed to gasp for breath. The small lattice stood open, but the prisoner, devoured by fever, could not be satisfied with such cooln

ding to the woman her natural place of comforter. For a moment, as she held his head upon her bosom and laid her cool soft hand upon his burning forehead, Christian seemed to recognize her; he looked up into her face piteously, and once or twice

jailer that he often slept thus for hours togethe

antly avowing the relationship so long concealed; and in the first warmth of a generous reaction, she almost regretted that she had not sent her child away, even to England, that she might now be free to devote herself to Christian. On their return to the Cottage they found Lucia watching with feverish anxiety for their coming and their news; but it was not until mother and daughter were shut up together in Mrs. Coste

wyers must be engaged with caution or bound to secrecy. As long as their secret could be kept, it must. And Mr. Strafford could not remain at Cacouna. He had come promptly to the help of the one unfortunate member of his flock, but the little community on the island always felt his absence grievously, and three or four days was the utmost he could spare at a time. Mrs. Costello greatly desired to see her husband again, but to do so without Mr. Strafford's presen

nt to England and confided to the care of her mother's cousin, George Wynter, so that she, at least, might be spared the hard task of facing her small familiar world under a new and degraded character. But of this plan Lucia suspected nothing. Her thoughts travelled as often as ever they had done, to that mis