p my passionate love, forgetful
of my birth! But did he not promise all? Were we not wed? God of the
just--who sees me--yes! yes! yes!"

Springing to her feet, Minny paced the floor wildly. Her white closed
teeth glittered through the portals of her parted lips--her black eyes
flashed and sparkled, and rained down the tears among the curls upon her
bosom, while her white hands were clutched together, or wrung fiercely.

She looked not unlike a personified tigress, lashed into fury by the
torment of an enemy.

Suddenly her whole aspect changed. The clutched hands unclasped, the
tears ceased to fall, the knotted brow relaxed--and, choking down her
sobs, Minny approached the bedside of her young mistress. Softly she
raised the rose-hued netting, and slid her hand beneath the pillow. It
rested there a moment quietly, and then was gently withdrawn, holding
the note tightly.

Gliding away with her treasure, she seated herself by the lamp, and
perused its contents. Every word, every line, every expression of
endearment, and every sentence of fondness, she drank eagerly in, and
seemed to write upon her heart.

Again and again she read it; but there were no more signs of emotion,
save that now and then her teeth were pressed tight into her lip, or her
hand laid hard against her heart.

CHAPTER VIII.

_The Prisoners._

What pen can describe the anguish of Arthur, when he found himself the
inmate of a watch-house! His arrest had completely sobered him, and his
intoxication was succeeded by a deathly and overpowering sickness, which
he found it impossible to overcome.

His companion treated the whole affair with the utmost indifference, and
when the key was turned upon them had thrown himself heavily upon a
bench, and immediately gone off into a drunken slumber. There were a few
other prisoners besides themselves, bearing such a villainous,
cut-throat appearance that Arthur shuddered as he looked at them.

As his sickness in a measure subsided, he threw himself face downwards
upon the hard, unyielding bench, and to escape the jeers of his
companions, drew himself close up in a corner near the door, and
pretended to be asleep. But alas! no sleep came to those burning
eyeballs through those long--long hours, and though racked with a
torturing headache and feverish thirst, he knew no way to relieve
himself, and dared not move lest he should again encounter the ridicule
of the brutes around him.

He thought of hi