hour specified," said Ishmael Worth, as he shook hands
with his visitor and offered him a chair.

Lyon Berners warmly expressed his thanks, and sank into the seat.

"You look very ill, Mr. Berners; you look as if you had not slept for
many nights. That will not do. Let me be your physician for once, as
well as your lawyer. Let me advise you to take opium at night. You
_must_ sleep, you see."

"Thanks; but I think my malady beyond the help of medicine, Mr. Worth,
unless it were something that should send me into the eternal sleep,"
said Lyon Berners, mournfully.

"Come, come; take courage! We have every reason to believe that this
medical examination will result in such a report as, sent up to the
governor with the new petition, will insure her release. And then you
will carry out your purpose of going with her to some foreign country.
Gay France, beautiful Italy, classic Greece, good old England, are all
before you where to choose," said Ishmael Worth, cheerfully.

Then they spoke of the three physicians who were to conduct the
examination: Dr. Bright, who had once had charge of the State Insane
Asylum, but who had recently retired to his plantation in this
neighborhood; Dr. Hart, who was the oldest and most skilful practitioner
in the county, having attended more families, and first introduced more
children to their friends and relations, than any other man in the
place; and lastly, Dr. Wiseman, the village druggist, who had taken his
degree, and was also physician to the county prison.

"Dr. Hart has attended Sybil's family for nearly half a century; he has
known Sybil from her earliest infancy; his visit will not alarm her,
though, for that matter, nothing alarms her now, not even--" He did not
finish the sentence; he could not bear to utter the words that would
have completed it.

Soon after he arose and took his leave. And he passed the day and night
as he had passed the last and many previous days and nights.

CHAPTER XIX.

THE EXAMINATION.

Alas how is it with you?
That you do bend your eyes on vacancy.
And----SHAKESPEARE.

The next morning he was early as usual at the prison, and as usual he
had to wait until the doors were opened.

The news of the impending medical examination of the prisoner had been
conveyed to the warden on the preceding afternoon. The prisoner and her
companion had been notified of it this morning, so that when Lyon
Berners was admitted to