whom he had so despised, and he could not account for the
feeling. Why did he not dare to answer her? She had told him he would
have her money: she had said it would come to him as a matter of
course; and it was not the dread of losing that which prevented his
saying a word in his own defence. No; she had really frightened him:
she had made him really feel that he was a low, wretched, wicked
creature, and he longed to escape from her, that he might recover his
composure.

"I have but little more to say to you, Barry," she continued, "and that
little is about the property. You will have it all, but a small sum of
money--"

Here Anty was interrupted by a knock at the door, and the entrance of
the widow. She came to say that the quarter of an hour allowed by the
doctor had been long exceeded, and that really Mr Barry ought to take
his leave, as so much talking would be bad for Anty.

This was quite a god-send for Barry, who was only anxious to be off;
but Anty begged for a respite.

"One five minutes longer, dear Mrs Kelly," said she, "and I shall have
done; only five minutes--I'm much stronger now, and really it won't
hurt me."

"Well, then--mind, only five minutes," said the widow, and again left
them alone.

"You don't know, Barry--you can never know how good that woman has been
to me; indeed all of them--and all for nothing. They've asked nothing
of me, and now that they know I'm dying, I'm sure they expect nothing
from me. She has enough; but I wish to leave something to Martin, and
the girls;" and a slight pale blush covered her wan cheeks and forehead
as she mentioned Martin's name. "I will leave him five hundred pounds,
and them the same between them. It will be nothing to you, Barry, out
of the whole; but see and pay it at once, will you?" and she looked
kindly into his face.

He promised vehemently that he would, and told her not to bother
herself about a will: they should have the money as certainly as if
twenty wills were made. To give Barry his due, at that moment, he meant
to be as good as his word. Anty, however, told him that she would make
a will; that she would send for a lawyer, and have the matter properly
settled.

"And now," she said, "dear Barry, may God Almighty bless you--may He
guide you and preserve you; and may He, above all, take from you that
horrid love of the world's gold and wealth. Good bye," and she raised
herself up in her bed--"good bye, for the last time, my own dear
broth