ous courage.--She would
not have left him unsustained and uncherished, had the physical powers
of the mother been able to second the sacred principles with which she
met and triumphed over the trial that was laid upon her.

It was one evening about ten days after O'Donovan's conviction that
Bodagh Buie O'Brien's wife sat by the bedside of her enfeebled and
languishing daughter. The crisis of her complaint had passed the day
before; and a very slight improvement, visible only to the eye of
her physician, had taken place. Her delirium remained much as before;
sometimes returning with considerable violence, and again leaving
reason, though feeble and easily disturbed, yet when unexcited by
external causes, capable of applying its powers to the circumstances
around her. On this occasion the mother, who watched every motion and
anticipated every wish of the beloved one, saw that she turned her eye
several times upon her as if some peculiar anxiety distressed her.

"Una, jewel," she at length inquired, "is there anything you want,
colleen maehree; or anything I can do for you?"

"Come near me, mother," she replied, "come near me."

Her mother approached her still more nearly.

"I'm afraid," she said, in a very low voice, "I'm afraid to ask it."

"Only wait for a minute or two," said her mother, "an' John will--but
here's the doctor's foot; they wor spakin' a word or two below;
an' whisper, darlin' o' my heart, sure John has something to tell
you--something that will"--

She looked with a searching anxiety into her mother's face; and it might
have been perceived that the morning twilight of hope beamed faintly but
beautifully upon her pale features. The expression that passed over
them was indeed so light and transient that one could scarcely say
she smiled; yet that a more perceptible serenity diffused its gentle
irradiation over her languid countenance was observed even by her
mother.

The doctor's report was favorable.

"She is slowly improving," he said, on reaching the parlor, "since
yesterday; I'm afraid, however, she's too weak at present to sustain
this intelligence. I would recommend you to wait for a day or two, and
in the meantime to assume a cheerful deportment, and to break it to
her rather by your looks and manner than by a direct or abrupt
communication."

They promised to observe his directions; but when her mother informed
them of the hint she herself threw out to her, they resolved to delay
the m