Basil

orrow on the evening when I recognised my sister, and murmured her name as she sat

s considerate forbearance, Clara's sorrowful reserve in touching on the subject of my long illness, or of the wild words which had escaped me in my delirium, mutely and gently warned me that the time was come when I owed the tardy atonement of confession

ve dreamt, during the night, of scenes of crime and woe and heavy trial which had never actually taken place. What was the secret of the terrible influence which-let her even be the vilest of the vile-Mannion must have possessed ove

spair of first awakening to a perfect sense of the calamity which had been hurled on me from the hand of my wife-in the misery of first clearly connecting together, after the wanderings of delirium, the Margaret to whom with my hand I had given all my heart, with the Margaret who had trampled on the gift and ruined the giver-all minor th

solitude, when the darkness was fast approaching, when the view from my window was at its loneliest, when my mind was growing listless and confused as the weary day wore out-it w

as I unconsciously murmured aloud the few words which expressed it, that my life had purposes and duties, trials and achievements,

sibly decide the fatal question in a few moments by consulting it. In my burning anxiety and impatience I could hardly handle the leaves or see the

t them. A glass of water stood on a table near me-I dipped my handkerchief in it, and cooled my thr

ned to my task-returned to my momentous search-slowly tracing my

nd close to the end

IOUS OC

tendance considers it absolutely impossible that he could have been injured as he was, except by having been violently thrown down on his face, either by a vehicle driven at a furious rate, or by a savage attack from some person or persons unknown. In the latter case, robbery could not have been the motive; for the unfortunate man's watch, purse, and ring were all found about him. No cards of address or letters of any kind were discovered in his pockets, and his linen and handkerchief were only marked with the letter M. He was dressed in evening cos

o the next day's paper; but found in it no further reference to the object of my sea

f any friends to whom notice of his situation might be communicated. It is quite in vain to press him for any reason for this extraordinary course of conduct-he appears to be a man of very unusual firmness of character; and his refusal to explain himself in any way, is evidently no mere caprice of the moment. All this leads to the conjecture that the injuries he has sustained were inflicted on him from some motive of private vengeance; and that certain persons are concerned in this disgraceful affair, whom he is unwilling to expose to public odium, for some secret reason which it is impossible to guess at. We understand that he bears the severe pain consequent upon his situation, in such a manner as to astonish every person about him-no agon

e, crossed my mind. There was yet more difficulty, danger, and horror to be faced, than I had hitherto confro

to endure and to resist coming back to me with my sense of the coming strife. On leaving the library, I ascended again to my own room. In a basket, on my table, lay several unopened letters, which had arrived for me during my illness. There were two which I at once suspecte

la, Hollyo

AR

ss you on the subject of the act of atrocity committed by that perjured villain, Mannion. You will find that I and my innocent d

confidence-all our innocences and confidences, I may say-but my dear Margaret showed a virtuous courage beyond her years, the natural result of the pious principles and the moral bringing up which I have given her from her cradle. Need I say what was the upshot? Virtue triumphed, as virtue always does, and the villain left her to herself. It was when she was approaching the door-step to fly to the bosom of her home that, I am given to understand

but I know better. Her explanation will be enough for you, as it was for me. We may have our little differences

g a private interview. But on maturer consideration, I thought it perhaps slightly injudicious to take such a step, while you, as the principal party concerned, were ill in bed, and not able to come forward and back me. I was anxious, you will observe, to act for your interests, as well as the interests of my darling girl-of course, knowing at the s

es after you, up to the time of penning these lines, and shall continue so to do until your convalescence, which I sincerely hope may be speedily at hand; I am unfortunately obliged to ask that our first interview, when you are able to see me and my daughter, may not take place at North Villa, but at some other place, any you like to fix on. The fact is, my wif

leasant feelings from your mind, and that I shall he

ain, d

ful, obedie

HEN S

that my indignation at his villany is as great as yours, that I am ready and anxious to pursue him with the utmost rigour of the law, if law can only reach him

into the house, and had heard all from her voice and Mannion's-she believed that I was still ignorant of everything, until we met at the door-step; and in this conviction she had forged the miserable lie which her father's hand had written do

deceit on my family which it now revolted me to think of; had braved whatever my father's anger might inflict; had risked cheerfully the loss of a

ch it was useless to shrink. There was still another letter to be ope

t's report pronounced me to have been convalescent for several days past: and was asked why, under these circumstances, I had never even written. I was warned that my silence had been construed greatly to my disadvantage; and that if it

of my room, restored me to myself. I felt that my first duty, my paramount obligation, was to confess all to my father immediately; to know and accept my future position in my own home, before I went out from it to denounce others. I ret

e servant brought in candles. Why could I not ask him whether my father

nd a knock at my door.-My father? No! Clara. I tri

walking till it is

er papa nor I noticed how late it was. We were talki

rer to me, and drew a chair to my side. There was a strange e

was? It was you, Basil. Papa is co

ks that lay on the table. Suddenly, she abandoned this employment; the colour left her face; it was quite pale

en proceeded quickly and earnestly:) "But I hope you will tell it all to papa: he is coming here to ask you-oh, Basil! be candid with him, and tell him everything; let us all be to one another what we were before this time last year! You have nothing to fear, if you only speak openly;

room. The next minute

ore sadly and severely than I had ever seen him look before. His voice, t

d, "on a subject about which I had mu

know to what subj

e as patiently as you can," he r

my arms round his neck, to give freedom to the repressed tears which half choked me, to weep out on his bosom my co

conduct, which you have been so uniformly unwilling to volunteer. I rested on that implicit faith in the honour and integrity of my son, which I will not yet believe to have been ill-placed, but which, I fear, has led me to neglect too long the duty of inquiry which I owed to your own well-being, and to my position towards you. I am now here to atone for this omission; circumstances have left me no choice. It deeply concerns my interest as a father, and my honour as the hea

f I have sinned grievously against you, I have been already heavily punished for the

ords which I heard, but will not judge

f a hard trial, Sir, if it has prepared you

rom whom I had expected far better things, have imitated in secre

brother's faul

te Ralph's candour. Take example from that best part of

ith grinning infamy and irreparable disgrace! How far-how fearfully far, my father was from the remotest suspicion of what had really happened! I tried to answer his last words, but the apprehension of the life-long humiliation and grief which my confession might

es this perfect stranger to me to come to the house as frequently as he does, and to make his inquiries with a familiarity of tone and

Sir, that I can well

ou must go back to the time when you had nothing to conceal from me, and w

nutes to collect myself. I have much need for a

Have I feared the worst, and yet not feared as I ought? Basil!-do you

strong yet as I thought myself. Father! I am heart-broken and sp

long, trembling sigh that I had heard before. I tried to rise from my chair, and throw myself on my

hurriedly, but very gently; "no mo

Sir; it is better

er a night's rest. No! I will hear nothing more. Go to bed now; I will tell your sister not to disturb you to-night

ion which had evidently overcome him. But, just at the moment when he was leaving the room, he hesitated, turned round, looked sor

over, would he ever g