He watched her deft fingers in silence as she cleared the table at length, washed and dried the dishes and put them away, and tidied the little room. "Now, father," she said, at length, "the sun is shining now, and I will give you half an hour of my time to listen to the story you have to tell me. Don't look so distressed about it, dear; no matter what it is, I will utter no word of complaint, you shall hear no bitter words from my lips, only words of love, trust and comfort." "Tell me that again, Bernardine," he cried; "say it over again. Those words are like the dew of Heaven to my feverish soul." She uttered the words again, with her soft white arms twined lovingly around his neck, and she held them there until he came to the end of his wretched story. "Bernardine," he began, softly, with a pitiful huskiness in his voice, "I rely on your promise. You have given me your word, and I know you will never break it. Don't look at me. Let me turn my face away from the sight of the horror in your eyes as you listen. There, that is right; let my poor whirling head rest on your strong young shoulder. "It happened only a few weeks ago, Bernardine," he continued, brokenly, "this tragedy which has wrecked my life. One night--ah! how well I remember it--even while I lie dying, it will stand out dark and horrible from the rest of my life--I--I could not withstand the craving for drink which took possession of me, and after you slept, I stole softly from my couch and out of the house. "The few dimes I had in my pocket soon went where so many dollars of my--yes, even your humble earnings have gone before--in the coffers of the rum-shop. "The liquor I drank seemed to fire my brain as it had never been fired before. I remember that I went to that place around the corner--the place that you and Doctor Gardiner saw them throw me out of that night you thought they had crippled me for life. "The man who keeps the place saw me coming in, and made a dash at me. Then a terrible fight took place between us, and a crowd gathered, foremost among whom I dimly saw the face of Jasper Wilde outlined amidst the jeering throng. "To hasten the telling of an unpleasant tale, I will say he ejected me, the while hurling the most insulting epithets at me. Then he spoke of _you_, Bernardine, and--and turning upon him with the ferocity of an enraged lion, I swore that I would kill him on sight. "'Beware! take care,' laughed Jasper Wilde, turning to my enemy; 'the old basket-maker always keeps his word. You are in danger, my boy.' "At this the crowd jeered. I hurried away. I never remembered how far I walked to still the throbbing of my heart and cool the fever in my veins. "At length I turned my steps toward home. How far I had traversed in the darkness I did not take note of; but as I was hurrying along, I heard a loud cry for help. I ran around the corner from which it seemed to proceed, and then I fell headlong across the body of a man lying prone upon the pavement.