d twice it came back, to remind me
of the duty that I owed to my miserable soul. I tried to throw it into
the fire. It struck the bar, and fell back into the fender at my feet.
I went out, and cast it into the well. It came back again in the first
bucket of water that was drawn up. From that moment, I began to save
what I could. Restitution! Atonement! I tell you the book found a
tongue--and those were the grand words it dinned in my ears, morning and
night." She stooped to fetch her breath--stopped, and struck her bosom.
"I hid it here, so that no person should see it, and no person take it
from me. Superstition? Oh, yes, superstition! Shall tell you something?
_You_ may find yourself superstitious, if you are ever cut to the heart
as I was. He left me! The man I had disgraced myself for, deserted me on
the day when I gave him the stolen money. He suspected it was stolen; he
took care of his own cowardly self--and left me to the hard mercy of the
law, if the theft was found out. What do you call that, in the way
of punishment? Haven't I suffered? Haven't I made atonement? Be a
Christian--say you forgive me."

"I do forgive you."

"Say you will pray for me."

"I will."

"Ah! that comforts me! Now you can go."

Emily looked at her imploringly. "Don't send me away, knowing no more
of the murder than I knew when I came here! Is there nothing, really
nothing, you can tell me?"

Mrs. Rook pointed to the door.

"Haven't I told you already? Go downstairs, and see the wretch who
escaped in the dawn of the morning!"

"Gently, ma'am, gently! You're talking too loud," cried a mocking voice
from outside.

"It's only the doctor," said Mrs. Rook. She crossed her hands over her
bosom with a deep-drawn sigh. "I want no doctor, now. My peace is made
with my Maker. I'm ready for death; I'm fit for Heaven. Go away! go
away!"

CHAPTER LXII. DOWNSTAIRS.

In a moment more, the doctor came in--a brisk, smiling, self-sufficient
man--smartly dressed, with a flower in his button-hole. A stifling
odor of musk filled the room, as he drew out his handkerchief with a
flourish, and wiped his forehead.

"Plenty of hard work in my line, just now," he said. "Hullo, Mrs. Rook!
somebody has been allowing you to excite yourself. I heard you, before
I opened the door. Have you been encouraging her to talk?" he asked,
turning to Emily, and shaking his finger at her with an air of facetious
remonstrance.

Incapable of answering him; f