But she could not sleep; her mind was anxious, and her ears were on the stretch for her profligate; and by-and-by the sparrows on the house-top began to chirp, and the market-carts rolled by on their way to the town, and the laborers’ heavy shoes tramped along to the fields where their work lay; and still there was no George! No George! and so, at length, she fell asleep. She had slept about a couple of hours when she was awakened by Esther’s voice. “Mother!” cried the girl, “there’s father at the door. You’d better go yourself and let him in!” “I will!” said Hannah, hastily getting out of bed and throwing on some clothes—“I will;” and she folded her lips with an expression of bitterness. “Don’t be too hard upon him, mother,” said Esther—“it’s the last time, for Jackson will be gone to-morrow;” and while her mother descended the stairs, the young girl arose, with her heart full of love and happiness—for how could she be sad when that very day was to make her Harry’s wife? Her wedding finery was all laid out ready to put on, and she was inspecting it with the innocent vanity of eighteen, when she was startled by a scream—another and another—and it was her mother’s voice! Pale and transfixed with terror, she stood with her hands pressed upon her bosom, to still her heart’s beating. What could have happened? Then she heard other voices below—men’s voices; and with trembling hands, she tried to dress herself, that she might go down and inquire. Suddenly, one cried out, “Where’s Esther? Where’s my sister?” There was a hasty foot upon the stairs, and George, her brother, pale as death, haggard, disheveled, rushed into the room. Then there was the tramp of many feet below, and Esther rushed to the door; but George caught her in his arms. “Wait!” he said, “and I’ll tell you all. Jackson got hold of my father last night and made him drink—” “We know it; but Harry! Oh, where’s Harry?” “Harry heard of it, and told me; and we went to seek him, he one way, I another. It was not till about two hours ago, I heard that father had not long left the Plough, in James-street, and that Harry had been there directly afterward, and gone in pursuit of him; so, being very anxious, I thought I would come on here to see if he was arrived.” And here the poor boy’s sobs choked his utterance. “And has any thing happened to my father!” said Esther. “When I got near the Mill-dam,” continued George, “I saw two or three of the millers looking into the water—” “My poor father! He’s drowned!” said Esther, clasping her hands. “Yes,” said George, hesitating; “whether he was seized with delirium, or whether remorse got the better of him, and he was ashamed to come home, there’s no telling—” “But where’s Harry?” cried the girl; for George hesitated again.