It were his evidence as hung feyther; and he's rightly punished for it now.' 'For a' that,--and he's done a vast o' wrong beside, he's dying now, Sylvie!' 'Well! let him die--it's t' best thing he could do!' 'But he's lying i' such dree poverty,--and niver a friend to go near him,--niver a person to speak a kind word t' him.' 'It seems as yo've been speaking wi' him, at any rate,' said Sylvia, turning round on Philip.
'Ay.

He sent for me by Nell Manning, th' old beggar-woman, who sometimes goes in and makes his bed for him, poor wretch,--he's lying in t' ruins of th' cow-house of th' Mariners' Arms, Sylvie.' 'Well!' said she, in the same hard, dry tone.
'And I went and fetched th' parish doctor, for I thought he'd ha' died before my face,--he was so wan, and ashen-grey, so thin, too, his eyes seem pushed out of his bony face.' 'That last time--feyther's eyes were starting, wild-like, and as if he couldn't meet ours, or bear the sight on our weeping.' It was a bad look-out for Philip's purpose; but after a pause he went bravely on.
'He's a poor dying creature, anyhow.

T' doctor said so, and told him he hadn't many hours, let alone days, to live.' 'And he'd shrink fra' dying wi' a' his sins on his head ?' said Sylvia, almost exultingly.
Philip shook his head.

'He said this world had been too strong for him, and men too hard upon him; he could niver do any good here, and he thought he should, maybe, find folks i' t' next place more merciful.' 'He'll meet feyther theere,' said Sylvia, still hard and bitter.
'He's a poor ignorant creature, and doesn't seem to know rightly who he's like to meet; only he seems glad to get away fra' Monkshaven folks; he were really hurt, I am afeared, that night, Sylvie,--and he speaks as if he'd had hard times of it ever since he were a child,--and he talks as if he were really grieved for t' part t' lawyers made him take at th' trial,--they made him speak, against his will, he says.' 'Couldn't he ha' bitten his tongue out ?' asked Sylvia.

'It's fine talking o' sorrow when the thing is done!' 'Well, anyhow he's sorry now; and he's not long for to live.