village; but he can't be brother to such a lady as
you.'"

"'Perhaps you have not been here long,' I said."

"'O yes, ma'am, nearly fifteen years,' he answered."

"'And what is the name of this man of whom you speak?'"

"'Richard, I think; they always call him Dick Edwards about here,'
answered the landlord."

"I did not tell him that was my brother's name, but with a trembling
heart I asked him to point me to the house of this Richard Edwards of
whom he spoke."

"There was something of pity in the tone of the landlord's voice, as he
told me to turn down the second lane I should come to, and go on to the
last hut on the right hand. 'But I advise you not to go,' he continued,
'for I'm sure there must be some mistake.'"

I was too heart-sick to answer, but, taking my travelling-bag on my arm,
I followed the directions of the landlord, and picked my way as well as
I could through the mud of the miserable, filthy lane he had mentioned
to me, all the time saying to myself, 'It cannot be--there surely must
be some mistake,' and yet impelled irresistibly to go on.

"As I approached the door of the hut at which I knew I was to stop, I
heard the sound of singing and shouting; and as I came nearer, the words
of a low drinking chorus sounded on my ear. I paused before the door,
and a feeling of faintness came over me. I thought, 'I will turn back,
and give up the attempt. Better never to find my brother, than to find
him here, and thus.' But again something impelled me to tap at the door.
It would be such an inexpressible relief, I thought, to find myself
mistaken."

"It was some time before I could make myself heard above the noise of
drunken revelry which sounded within the hovel; but at length the door
was opened by a wretched, frightened-looking woman, and a scene of
indescribable misery was presented to my eyes. Around a table were
seated three or four brutish-looking men, with a jug and some glasses
before them. On the table was a pack of greasy-looking cards; but those
who surrounded the table were too far gone to play now; they could only
drink, and sing, and shout, and drink again; and one of them, in
attempting to rise from the table, fell, and lay in a state of utter
helplessness on the floor."

"The man of the house was not so far gone as the rest; and when he came
staggering forward, a few words sufficed to explain the reason of my
appearance."

"His answer seemed to seal my fate."

"'Ho! you're Rhoda,