n your face at such a threat. He stands upon his
degradation, he makes that his strength; it is in vain to struggle with
such characters." She cried out this last a little desperately, and then
with more quiet: "No, Mr. Mackellar; I have thought upon this matter all
night, and there is no way out of it. Papers or no papers, the door of
this house stands open for him; he is the rightful heir, forsooth! If we
sought to exclude him, all would redound against poor Henry, and I
should see him stoned again upon the streets. Ah! if Henry dies, it is a
different matter! They have broke the entail for their own good
purposes; the estate goes to my daughter; and I shall see who sets a
foot upon it. But if Henry lives, my poor Mr. Mackellar, and that man
returns, we must suffer: only this time it will be together."

On the whole I was well pleased with Mrs. Henry's attitude of mind; nor
could I even deny there was some cogency in that which she advanced
about the papers.

"Let us say no more about it," said I. "I can only be sorry I trusted a
lady with the originals, which was an unbusinesslike proceeding at the
best. As for what I said of leaving the service of the family, it was
spoken with the tongue only; and you may set your mind at rest. I belong
to Durrisdeer, Mrs. Henry, as if I had been born there."

I must do her the justice to say she seemed perfectly relieved; so that
we began this morning, as we were to continue for so many years, on a
proper ground of mutual indulgence and respect.

The same day, which was certainly prededicate to joy, we observed the
first signal of recovery in Mr. Henry; and about three of the following
afternoon he found his mind again, recognising me by name with the
strongest evidences of affection. Mrs. Henry was also in the room, at
the bed-foot; but it did not appear that he observed her. And indeed
(the fever being gone) he was so weak that he made but the one effort
and sank again into a lethargy. The course of his restoration was now
slow, but equal; every day his appetite improved; every week we were
able to remark an increase both of strength and flesh; and before the
end of the month he was out of bed and had even begun to be carried in
his chair upon the terrace.

It was perhaps at this time that Mrs. Henry and I were the most uneasy
in mind. Apprehension for his days was at an end; and a worse fear
succeeded. Every day we drew consciously nearer to a day of reckoning;
and the day