ng at a rapid pace, like a messenger who bringeth good tidings?"

Darby looked out, and at once recognized one of Deaker's grooms, riding
at a smart gallop towards Solomon's house.

The latter raised the window as the man approached--

"Well, my friend, what is the matter?"

"Sir, Mr. Deaker wishes to see you above all things; he is just dying,
and swears he cannot depart till you come."

"I shall order the car immediately," replied Solomon. "Say I shall not
lose a moment."

The man wheeled round his horse, and galloped off at even a greater
speed than before.

"Darby, my friend," said he, "I shall attend at M'Loughlin's without
fail. Justice must be rendered, Darby; justice must be rendered to that
wretched man and his family."

Darby looked him in the face with a peculiar expression--

"Yes, sir," said he; "plaise God, justice shall be rendhered as you
say--no doubt of that."

He then left the house, and ere he had proceeded a score yards, turned
and said--

"Yes, you netarnal villain--you know the justice you and M'Clutchy
rendhered me--bad luck to you both, I pray, this day! Any how it'll soon
come back to yez."

In a few minutes Solomon was on his way, with an anxious expectation
that he had been called upon to draw up Deaker's will.

Val, on reaching his father's, heard from Tom Corbet, with a good
deal of surprise, that Solomon had been sent for expressly. A glance,
however, at the invalid induced him to suppose that such a message could
proceed from nothing but the wild capricious impulses under which he
labored. Much to his surprise also, and indeed to his mortification,
he found before him two gentlemen, whom Deaker, who it appears had been
conscious of his approaching dissolution, had sent for, with his
usual shrewdness, to guard and preserve his loose property from his
unfortunate housekeeper on the one hand, and his virtuous son Val, on
the other. These gentlemen were his cousins, and indeed we are inclined
to think that their presence at that precise period was, considering all
things, rather seasonable than otherwise. They had not, however, arrived
many minutes before Val, so that when he came, they were still in one of
the parlors, waiting for Deaker's permission to see him. A little
delay occurred; but the moment Val entered, with his usual privilege he
proceeded straight to the sick room, whilst at the same moment a message
came up to say that the other gentlemen "might come up and be d