"Mrs. Berners has a respite for an indefinite period. I consider that
respite an earnest of her full pardon. You do not doubt my sincerity in
saying this?"

"No."

"Listen yet longer. As no new day has been set for her death, so I think
no further action will be taken in the matter until after the birth of
her child--and some considerable time after that event. And then, I
think, a full pardon will be granted her."

"'Hope deferred!'" began Mr. Berners, with a deep sigh.

"Yes, I know," said Ishmael Worth, with a grave smile; "but hear me
out."

"I am listening."

"I had several interviews with the governor, and though he was very
reserved in communicating his sentiments, I perceived that he really
wished to pardon his petitioner."

"Then why, in the name of Heaven, did he not do so?" demanded Mr.
Berners, starting up from his seat.

"Be calm and I will tell you," said Ishmael Worth, gently drawing him
down into the chair.

Again Lyon Berners dropped into it with a deep groan.

"If it were not that trouble has so disturbed the clearness of your
mind, you would yourself see that men in authority cannot do these
things so suddenly. I repeat that I perceived that the governor would
gladly have granted the pardon immediately upon the presentation of the
petition, founded as it was upon such strong grounds, and he was only
deterred from doing so by the fact that at the present point of time
such a pardon would be a very unpopular measure."

"That a lady's innocent life should fall a sacrifice to a politician's
selfish love of popularity!" bitterly commented Lyon Berners.

Ishmael Worth was silent for a moment, because he felt the injustice of
Lyon Berners' remarks, yet did not wish to rebuke them, and then he
said, deprecatingly:

"I do not think the governor's course here was directed by any selfish
policy. He feels that he must be guided in a great degree by the will of
the people, who are now most unjustly certainly, but most violently set
against Mrs. Berners. So he sends down the respite, to which, under the
peculiar circumstances, no one can object, and sends it as a prelude to
the pardon which I believe will certainly follow when the popular
excitement has had time to subside."

"Heaven grant it may be so," fervently prayed Lyon Berners.

"And now," said Ishmael Worth, drawing from his breast pocket a sealed
parcel directed to the sheriff of the county, "I must take this document
to Mr. Fortescue a