re he took
his place at the bedside, and seemed to listen with intense anxiety for
every sound of the sleeper's lips. The fever appeared to gain ground,
for the flush now covered the face and forehead, and the limbs were
twitched with short convulsive motions.

At last, as the paroxysm had reached its height, he bounded up from the
bed and awoke.

"Where am I?" cried he, wildly. "Who are all these? What do they allege
against me?"

"Lie down; compose yourself, Mr. Carew. You are amongst friends, who
wish you well, and will treat you kindly," said Fagan, mildly.

"But it was not of my seeking,--no one can dare to say so. Fagan will be
my back to any amount,--ten thousand, if they ask it."

"That will I,--to the last penny I possess."

"There, I told you so. I often said I knew the Grinder better than any
of you. You laughed at me for it; but I was right, for all that."

"I trust you were right, sir," said Fagan, calmly.

"What I said was this," continued he, eagerly: "the father of such a
girl as Polly must be a gentleman at heart. He may trip and stumble, in
his imitations of your modish paces; but the soul of a gentleman must be
in him. Was I right there, or not?"

"Pray, calm yourself; lie down, and take your rest," said Fagan, gently
pushing him back upon the pillow.

"You are quite right," said he; "there is nothing for it now but
submission. MacNaghten, Harvey, Burton,--all who have known me from
boyhood,--can testify if I were one to do a dishonorable action. I tell
you again and again, I will explain nothing; life is not worth such a
price,--such ignominy is too great!"

He paused, as if the thought was too painful to pursue; and then, fixing
his eyes on Fagan, he laughed aloud, and added,--

"Eh, Fagan! that would be like one of your own contracts,--a hundred per
cent!"

"I have not treated you in this wise, Mr. Carew," said he, calmly..

"No, my boy! that you have not. To the last hour of my life--no great
stretch of time, perhaps--I 'll say the same. You have been a generous
fellow with me--the devil and yourself may perhaps know why,--I do not;
nay, more, Fagan--I never cared to know. Perhaps you thought I 'd marry
Polly. By George! I might have done worse; and who knows what may be yet
on the cards? Ay, just so--the cards--the cards!"

He did not speak again for several minutes; but when he did, his voice
assumed a tone of greater distinctness and accuracy, as if he would not
that a single