"Oh, Mary, how is this to end?" exclaimed Mrs Austin, after one of the paroxysms had subsided. "As guilt always must end, madam," replied Mary, bursting into tears and clasping her hands,--"in misery." "My dear Mary, do not distress yourself in that manner; you are no longer guilty." "Nor is my master then, madam; for I am sure that he has repented." "Yes, indeed, he has repented most sincerely; one hasty deed has embittered his whole life--he never has been happy since, and never will be until he is in heaven." "Oh, what a happy relief it would be to him!" replied Mary, musing. "I wish that I was, if such wish is not sinful." "Mary, you must not add to my distress by talking in that manner; I want your support and consolation now." "You have a right to demand everything of me, madam," replied Mary, "and I will do my best, I will indeed. I have often felt this before, and I thank God for it; it will make me more humble." The fever continued for many days, during which time Mr Austin was attended solely by his wife and Mary; the latter had written to our hero, stating the cause of her absence from him in so trying a period, and she had received an answer, stating that he had received from very good authority the information that he was not likely to leave the country for some weeks, and requesting that Mary would remain with his mother until his father's dangerous illness was decided one way or the other he stated that he should be perfectly satisfied if he only saw her once before his departure, to arrange with her relative to her affairs, and to give her legal authority to act for him, previously to his removal from the country. He told her that he had perceived an advertisement in the London papers, evidently put in by his friends at Portsmouth, offering a handsome reward to any one who could give any account of him--and that he was fearful that some of those who were at the trial would read it, and make known his position; he begged Mary to write to him every day if possible, if it were only a few lines, and sent his devoted love to his mother. Mary complied with all our hero's requests, and every day a few lines were despatched; and it was now ascertained by the other domestics, and by them made generally known, that a daily correspondence was kept up with a prisoner in Exeter gaol, which added still more mystery and interest to the state of Mr Austin. Many were the calls and cards left at the Hall, and if we were to inquire whether curiosity or condolence was the motive of those who went there, we are afraid that the cause would, in most cases, have proved to have been the former. Among others, O'Donahue and McShane did not fail to send every day, waiting for the time when they could persuade Austin to do justice to his own child.